


Kurosawa Kiyoshi/Adachi Yuichi

by stickers_on_a_laptop



Category: 30歳まで童貞だと魔法使いになれるらしい | Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?! (TV)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alternate Universe - Character Swap, Character Study, M/M, Not Beta Read, POV Alternating
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-22
Updated: 2021-01-28
Packaged: 2021-03-13 23:33:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28911645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stickers_on_a_laptop/pseuds/stickers_on_a_laptop
Summary: Adachi turns 30, but instead of hearing people's thoughts, he keeps switching bodies with Kurosawa.Prompt: Day 28, Pine
Relationships: Adachi Kiyoshi/Kurosawa Yuichi
Comments: 118
Kudos: 155
Collections: Cherry Magic - 31 Days of Prompts Can Turn you into a Wizard!





	1. Who?

**5.**

Adachi Kiyoshi woke up on his 30th birthday, expecting nothing to have changed but his age. But it clearly wasn’t meant to be, considering  _ this was not his bed.  _ Adachi knew his bed very well, and  _ this was not it.  _ He had no idea where he was, and had no idea why the world was a little blurry either until he spotted a pair of glasses on the nightstand, which held a plant and a few knickknacks. He put them on and looked around. It was a lot darker in the room than he was used to for that time of day. The bed was a lot bigger, and it wasn’t pushed against the wall like his. He spotted the lamp next to him and turned it on, finding out that this was a bedroom, as in a  _ whole separate room for sleeping.  _ Adachi couldn’t imagine the rent for something like this, assuming he was still in Tokyo. He could be in a different country entirely, for all he knew. But sitting here in shock wouldn’t help him figure out who he was. He got up and opened the door. It opened to a hallway of sorts that led to the main area, and there was a door on his left that was partly open. He pushed it open to find the bathroom, which was what he was looking for. There was a mirror over the sink, and Adachi hurried over to see what he currently looked like. 

Oh. Oh no. 

* * *

Kurosawa Yuichi woke up on October 1st, 2020 because he  _ hit a wall in his sleep.  _ There was no wall next to his bed, so this was an interesting way to wake up. Rubbing his nose, which stung from  _ hitting the wall that shouldn’t have been there _ , he took in his surroundings. Much brighter than he was used to, but cozier too. Lots of art supplies both above and on the desk across from the bed, and a bookshelf of manga. Kurosawa got up and stretched, looking for a mirror to figure out whose body he was currently in. The bathroom was near the kitchen, different than he was used to. He went through the noren, which fluttered as he moved into the bathroom. He found the light and  _ oh.  _ So this is the body he’s currently occupying. 

* * *

Adachi paced the bedroom, wondering what to do. He couldn’t go to work like this. Kurosawa was the ace star of sales, talking to clients and convincing them to buy products, and he was someone who spent all day at his desk, putting in the information of which companies had bought products. That meant calling, which was….not Adachi’s idea of fun. For a second he thought about calling Urabe, but if he was Kurosawa, there was no reason for him to be calling  _ Urabe.  _ No, he’d have to call the main chief, since he couldn’t for the life of him remember Kurosawa’s seniors’ names. He found Kurosawa’s phone, praying there wasn’t a password. There was a lock, but it was Face ID, so Adachi was able to unlock it without a hitch. He somehow managed to get through the call without sounding like a total idiot, which would have reflected poorly on Kurosawa. Once it was over, he lay on the bed, wondering how and why this had happened. He sat up quickly when he realized that he had to make sure that Kurosawa didn’t go to work that day. 

* * *

Kurosawa hung up, wondering how Adachi had any patience with Urabe. His lock had thankfully been 1001, for his birthday, which had been the first thing Kurosawa had tried. Oh no, poor Adachi, presumably in his body, probably freaking out. Kurosawa just wanted Adachi to be happy, and this probably was not making him happy. A buzzing from Adachi’s phone startled him from his musings, and Kurosawa looked down to see a familiar number on the phone. 

“Adachi?” 

“Kurosawa??” Adachi’s frantic voice sounded odd to Kurosawa, since it was his own voice in his ear, but the way it sounded in recordings. 

“Yes, it’s me,” Kurosawa reassured him. 

“I-I called out for you, d-did you do that for me?” Adachi asked. Kurosawa couldn’t help but attach to the fact that Adachi had said what he did for Kurosawa before mentioning himself. 

“I did,” Kurosawa said, wondering if Adachi remembered that he had a lock on his phone. 

“Oh...good. I’m going to come over, okay?” Adachi sounded nervous to enter his own home, which broke Kurosawa’s heart. 

“Okay, see you soon!” Kurosawa said. 

The call over, Kurosawa let out a big breath he didn’t realize he had been holding. He sat on the bed, wondering what to do. He decided he should cook for…..himself? He laughed a little, as he hadn’t expected to cook for Adachi under these circumstances, if ever. He went over to the kitchen and opened the fridge, frowning when he saw only convenience foods and some ramunes. He checked the time, calculating the time it would take Adachi to get to this apartment. Yes, he had time. He would have to get dressed first, though, out of this t-shirt with a flamingo patch and these track pants. He checked the dresser next to the bookshelf, finding clean t-shirts and hoodies in the top drawer and jeans in the second. Underwear and socks were thrown messily in the third. Kurosawa took a deep breath. He could hold it together, hold in the fact that he was currently in his crush’s body, and  _ not freak out about it like a teenager.  _ He got dressed quickly, eyes on the wall. 

* * *

Adachi took a deep, grounding breath. Okay, he was going over to his own apartment. That meant he needed...to get changed, first of all. And he would have to find Kurosawa’s wallet and train card. There was a wardrobe that opened to...good lord that was a lot of suits, but not what Adachi was looking for. He just wanted some normal clothes. He pushed the suits to the side and found some t-shirts and coats. Jeans were in the drawer underneath, as well as boxers and socks, all folded nicely. Adachi carefully pulled out the things he needed, trying not to disturb the neat piles Kurosawa had created. Some socks still fell out, despite his best attempts, and Adachi found himself looking at a pair of navy blue pajamas that looked invitingly soft. He couldn’t resist running his fingers over it, enjoying the feeling of silk under his touch. He wondered why they were hidden under socks, but tried to put the socks over them as best he could. He got dressed, abstentmindingly noticing how Kurosawa had nice muscles on his stomach when he was pulling off the long sleeved t-shirt he had woken up in. He remembered seeing a laundry basket in the restroom, so he dropped off the pajamas there. Well, now he was dressed. He looked for Kurosawa’s bag, finding it across from the couch, on its own little shelf. He felt a bit like a snoop, looking through it, but he had to get the wallet and train card. He found the wallet in an inside pocket, the train card peeking out of one of the card slots. He slipped it in the pocket of the black and white coat he was wearing, phone in his hands, directions to the train on the screen. He put on the giant-seeming Timberlands that were next to the door and left the apartment. 

* * *

Kurosawa pulled on the Converse next to the door, chuckling a little over how much smaller Adachi’s feet were compared to his, despite Adachi being fairly tall. He found Adachi’s briefcase backpack and after making sure there was money in Adachi’s wallet, as well as the key to the apartment, he left to find a store so he could cook for the two of them. As he walked, he wondered why this had happened, and if it could be fixed. He had a small theory on how to get them to their original bodies, but he wasn’t entirely sure if it would work. But with a little over seven years of silently observing Adachi, he knew what Adachi liked to eat and planned on making a good breakfast for him. He hoped he wasn’t being too imposing, but he was going to use this opportunity to its fullest. Paying Adachi back would be easy, so that wasn’t too big of a concern. He passed a convenience truck, and judging by the way the man’s gaze followed him, he guessed that Adachi often went there. Adachi had a routine, Kurosawa had noticed, that tended to be followed diligently unless Urabe pushed work on him. Kurosawa guessed that the convenience truck was part of that routine, and hoped that Adachi was doing okay in his body. 

* * *

Adachi held on to the strap of the subway, wondering how the heck Kurosawa dealt with all these stares. He knew that Kurosawa was good looking, of course, with his long nose and unique mouth and eyes that easily crinkled into a smile. But to be stared at after a lifetime of being in the background was not sitting well with Adachi. He had a feeling that the glasses weren’t helping, but he hadn’t felt comfortable trying to mess with contacts. He ran his fingers through his hair, which was so much silkier than he was used to, and shorter as well. The movement clearly caught the attention of two teenage girls, one of which blushed when he accidentally made eye contact. Also new. Usually he was the one blushing. He rubbed his neck, thankful he was almost at his stop. Hopefully Kurosawa would have an idea of how to get back into the correct body, since he had only been in this body a few hours and was ready to get out of it. He wondered why this had to have happened on his birthday, of all days. Kurosawa had turned thirty on February 22nd, why hadn’t this happened then? (Of course, Adachi would have preferred it to not happen at all, but why  _ his  _ birthday? Adachi felt bad for having known Kurosawa this long and not realizing his birthday, though.)

The train announcing his stop broke into his thoughts, and Adachi shook his head, getting ready to walk the half kilometer walk to his apartment. 

* * *

Kurosawa, back at the apartment, was struggling with the key. Adachi had texted he was close, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to get there. A neighbor came out and looked at him funnily, but Kurosawa couldn’t worry about that. He wanted to get inside and start cooking for Adachi (himself? Kurosawa wasn’t entirely sure anymore.) 

“Kurosawa?” Kurosawa turned at the sound of his name, freezing when he saw himself, looking very odd with Adachi’s “freaking out” expression. 

“Oh...hi Adachi,” he said, trying to get a hold of his feelings. 

“What are you doing?” 

“The key…” Kurosawa gestured at the key, stuck in the lock. 

“Oh, there’s a trick to it,” Adachi said, looking like he wanted Kurosawa out of the way. Kurosawa obligingly moved, watching as Adachi opened the door with ease. Kurosawa grabbed the groceries and followed his own body inside, feeling very odd about it. 

* * *

Adachi couldn’t help but feel out of place in his own apartment, since Kurosawa had bought groceries and  _ made the bed,  _ for some reason. Seeing himself, with his mole on the opposite side of what he was used to, was just weird, but seeing himself look so confident in the kitchen was utterly bizarre. He had tried to talk to Kurosawa about their current predicament, but he had just said it could wait until after he had made breakfast. And of course Kurosawa cooked. He was good at everything, wasn’t he? Adachi just sat on the bed, feeling too keyed up to even read one of his mangas.

“Adachi?” 

“Yes?” 

“Do you have a table? Or do you usually eat at your desk?”

“No, I have one.” Adachi got up and set it up, the out of body experience feeling growing more intense as he realized this was the first time he was setting it up for breakfast, as he usually ate on the way to work or over the sink on his days off. Usually the table was for drawing or dinner, occasionally for when Tsuge came over. 

“Can you put these on the table, please?” Kurosawa asked, holding two mismatched plates out, with several other plates holding other dishes on the counter. 

Adachi nodded, keeping his eyes on the floor, since looking at himself was a little too much to handle at the moment. He put the dishes on the table and sat down, wondering vaguely why it all looked like his favorite foods. He had thought about getting his usual onigiris, but had wanted to get to his apartment as quickly as possible. He hadn’t expected Kurosawa to get groceries at all, but it looked like he had gotten enough groceries for the week. 

“Adachi? C’mon, let’s eat before it gets cold,” Kurosawa said, breaking into Adachi’s thoughts. 

“Oh...itadakimasu” he said, picking up his chopsticks and trying the food, which was much better than the food he was used to. “This is so good!” he told Kurosawa, but facing down, still not in a mindset to deal with looking at himself. 

“Thank you,” Kurosawa said. 

The two of them finished the meal in silence, which was awkward, but not quite as awkward as it could have been, in Adachi’s thinking at least. He had no idea what Kurosawa was thinking, though, especially since he was steadfastly ignoring his gaze, something he was good at. 

* * *

Kurosawa was glad Adachi enjoyed the food, as shown by his little sounds of pleasure, but was a little upset that he wasn’t looking at him, even though he knew it was because he was uncomfortable in the wrong body. Once the food had been eaten and the table cleared, Kurosawa knew he couldn’t avoid the situation anymore. 

“Adachi?”

Adachi turned around so fast Kurosawa winced. 

“Yes?” 

Kurosawa took a deep breath. He wasn’t entirely sure what to do, especially considering this wasn’t his apartment. But Adachi was finally looking at him, and seeing such an “Adachi” expression on his own face was short circuiting Kurosawa’s brain. 

“Should we sit down to talk about this?” he suggested. 

Adachi nodded and sat on his bed, so Kurosawa took the desk chair, sitting on it backwards so that he could lean on the back of it, wheeling it a little closer to Adachi’s bed, but not so close that Adachi felt crowded. 

“Do you have any idea why this would have happened?” Kurosawa asked, wincing when he realized how blunt that sounded. 

Adachi tilted his head, considering the question, before shaking his head. His eyes were focused on the comforter, tracing the plaid pattern with his fingers. 

“Do you think it might be the fact it’s your birthday today?” 

Adachi froze. “How do you know it’s my birthday?” 

“Your ID,” Kurosawa lied smoothly, realizing Adachi might not want to hear that he had known for five years now, when Urabe had been loud for Adachi’s “big 25”. 

Adachi visibly relaxed at that, making Kurosawa’s heart ache. 

“But if it was because of my birthday, wouldn’t this have happened for your birthday first?” 

Kurosawa considered that before nodding slowly. “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter  _ why  _ it happened, we should probably just focus on fixing it.” 

Adachi nodded frantically, nearly making the glasses fly off. 

“Do you have any ideas?” Kurosawa asked, knowing his idea probably wouldn’t be taken well. 

Adachi shook his head. “Do you, Kurosawa?” 

“I have one…” Kurosawa said, trailing off at Adachi’s hopeful expression. 

“What is it?” 

“...you know fairy tales, right?” Kurosawa asked. 

Adachi looked confused--until he didn’t. 

* * *

Kurosawa couldn’t be suggesting what he thought. Yes, he was thirty, but no, this couldn’t be right! He grabbed his hair, frustrated, but let go when he realized it wasn’t really his hair. He could tear out his bowl cut, but Kurosawa’s hair wasn’t his to mess up. Realizing that, he decided that it had to be done, if only for Kurosawa’s sake. 

“Adachi? You okay?” Kurosawa asked. He was making a face that looked odd on Adachi’s face, the “clients are being unreasonable” or “Rokkaku is being loud” one. 

“Not really,” Adachi muttered before realizing that wasn’t the right answer to give. 

“Do you want to try now, then?” Kurosawa asked gently. “We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” 

Adachi shook his head, but quickly realized how that would be taken the wrong way. 

“We can try,” he squeaked. 

* * *

Kurosawa got out of the chair, feeling a pang in his chest as he saw Adachi screw up his face, clearly unhappy. But this had to be tried, since they couldn’t be stuck in these bodies forever. Kurosawa took Adachi’s face in his hand, privately thinking how bizarre it was to be holding his own face. He was going to go for the lips, but with Adachi’s expression, he couldn’t. He sighed and put his lips to Adachi’s forehead. Kurosawa felt dizzy all of a sudden, and felt his soul rush out of Adachi’s body and into his own. He could only guess that Adachi felt the same way, judging by the shocked expression on his face. Kurosawa only had a second of warning before Adachi’s eyes rolled back and he fainted, Kurosawa catching him before he hit the wall behind him. 

* * *

Adachi came to, knowing immediately he was in his body, but a little confused on what was happening. He was on the floor, with his feet on the bed. Kurosawa was gently patting his face, a look of concern on his face. 

“Adachi? Are you awake?” Kurosawa asked. 

“Why am I on the floor?” he asked groggily. 

“You need your feet elevated, and this seemed like the best option,” Kurosawa said apologetically. “Let me help you up.”

Adachi felt himself be lifted, one of Kurosawa’s hands sliding under him and the other coming around as he was tenderly put on the bed. 

“Let me get you some water,” Kurosawa said once he was satisfied with Adachi, putting the comforter over him as he sat cross legged in the middle of the bed. 

Adachi watched Kurosawa go into the kitchen, trying to figure out his feelings. Kurosawa hadn’t taken his first kiss, instead going for the forehead. And it had worked, for some reason. Adachi had no idea what it all meant. 

“Here,” Kurosawa said, holding out a cup of water. Adachi took it and drank it gratefully. Kurosawa stood next to the bed, making sure Adachi drank all of it, taking it back to the kitchen when Adachi set it on the nightstand. Adachi wasn’t sure what to do now, now that they were back in their own bodies, and if he had to guess, Kurosawa didn’t either.

“Should I go back, then?” Kurosawa asked, startling Adachi, who had been zoning out thinking about it. 

Adachi bit his lip. If he was being honest, he would feel guilty if he allowed Kurosawa to go after he had cooked him breakfast. 

“I have a Switch, if you want to play a few games before you go…?” he managed to get out. 

* * *

Adachi was allowing him to stay a bit longer. Kurosawa couldn’t believe his luck, and stood there frozen until Adachi’s hesitant “Kurosawa?” reminded him that he had not responded. 

“I would like that,” Kurosawa said, breaking out in a smile. He followed Adachi to the TV, accepting the controllers that Adachi gave him as he turned on the system. 

“I don’t have a lot of games, sorry, just Smash, Super Mario Maker, and Animal Crossing,” Adachi said. “Which one do you want to play?” 

“Smash?” Kurosawa wasn’t much for video games, having last played in high school. 

“Super Smash Bros,” Adachi clarified. 

“You can pick,” Kurosawa shrugged. Any game was fine if it was with Adachi. 

“Let’s play Smash, then,” Adachi said after some consideration. He opened the game and Kurosawa was greeted with many vaguely familiar video game characters. 

“Should we put on some computers, since it’s just the two of us?” Adachi asked. “And do you want stock or time limit?” 

“What’s the difference?” Kurosawa asked. 

“Stock means you have a limited amount of lives, while time limit means whoever has the most HP left wins.”

  
  
“Let’s go with time limit.”

Adachi nodded and set up the parameters. Kurosawa noticed that he picked his character without hesitation, setting the two computers on random, so Kurosawa also put his on random. 

When the game started, Kurosawa wasn’t even sure who he was, let alone how to attack. Adachi, on the other hand, immediately started attacking the two slightly different pink blobs with his own pink princess. Kurosawa guessed that meant he was the dog wearing a green sweater, and started randomly pushing buttons, managing to shove one pink blob off the stage. But that was the only victory he had, with Adachi’s princess using her umbrella to somehow make him fly across the screen at one point.

“Wow, you are  _ bad  _ at this!” Adachi said, grinning. Kurosawa so badly wanted to take a video, but swallowed it down. Adachi didn’t know how he felt, and that would be crossing a line. When the time was up, Kurosawa was last place, but he felt like he had won considering Adachi’s smile. 

Every game after, Kurosawa picked the dog, which he now knew was named Isabelle. He slowly got better, learning what each button did. But he couldn’t win against Adachi, no matter how hard he tried. 

* * *

Adachi quickly lost track of time, getting lost in the game. Unlike many people Adachi played with, Kurosawa was fine with items being on and preferred time limit over stocks. And seeing the “perfect” Kurosawa be bad at video games felt like he was being let in on a secret. When he finally noticed that it was now afternoon, he couldn’t help but feeling a little shocked. Where had the time gone? And who knew that being with Kurosawa could be so fun? Adachi knew it was his own fault he didn’t make friends easily, but if someone had told him that he would one day spend time outside of work with Kurosawa, the most popular guy in the office, he would have said they were crazy. 

“Oh my goodness, I didn’t realize it was this late, I’ve been imposing,” Kurosawa said, clearly also realizing the time. 

“No, not at all!” Adachi said, waving his hands to make his point. 

“Well, I still should go,” Kurosawa said, giving Adachi the controllers and getting up. “Thank you for letting me stay.”

Adachi watched him slip on his shoes and leave, unsure why he felt upset about Kurosawa leaving. 

* * *

  
Kurosawa replayed the day over once he was home, feeling like a giddy teenager for  _ getting to kiss Adachi, even if it was just on the forehead.  _ And Adachi had allowed him to cook him breakfast and stay to play video games! He didn’t know why he had switched bodies with Adachi, and he was sure it wouldn’t happen again, but he was grateful for the one day. It would be enough. 


	2. What?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The company trip starts out ordinary, but the magic comes into play again
> 
> Prompt: Day 22, Onsen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended a little angstier than planned....oh well ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> Also, it wasn't supposed to take that many words to get to the body swap part.....whoops

**4.**

Adachi did  _ not  _ want to go on a company trip, but he didn’t really have an excuse to  _ not  _ go, so he accepted the fact that he would be stuck on a bus for a few hours so that he could be stuck on a three night stay at an onsen. Something about “company morale” and “intersectional cooperation” did not make this trip any more enticing. It just meant he would probably be stuck with someone he didn’t know instead of Urabe, who he usually paired with on this sort of thing. He might be a bit overbearing, but he was familiar, so Adachi was used to him and even knew Urabe cared for him in his own way. Urabe would complain that Adachi always kicked him in his sleep, but he also made sure no one picked on him too much, which Adachi was grateful for. 

The bus pulled in front of the office and everyone put their suitcases in the storage area underneath. Adachi’s suitcase was noticeably shabbier than many of his coworkers, as he only had the one. 

“You ready for the trip?” Kurosawa’s voice, closer than expected, startled Adachi enough that he stepped back. 

“Oh...yes, I suppose so,” Adachi muttered, falling into the line of people getting on the bus. Kurosawa followed him, to Adachi’s slight surprise. He got on the bus and went to his preferred seat: over the wheel, left side, window seat. Kurosawa got called by his fan club in the back and went to sit with them. Adachi figured he would be sitting alone, so he was surprised when Kurosawa’s kohai sat next to him. 

“Hi, I’m Rokkaku! You’re Adachi-san, right?” Rokkaku said cheerfully. 

“What? Oh...yeah I am. How did you know?” Adachi asked, feeling flustered. 

“I made sure to learn everyone’s name! I want to be the next ace of sales, and to do that, I have to know clients, so I started with all my coworkers in our office,” Rokkaku said. 

Adachi nodded, hoping Rokkaku would calm down, as it would be a long five hours if he didn’t. Adachi knew from experience that usually the first hour or so was karaoke, then talking for another, then by hour three most people fell asleep. Sure enough, once they got on the highway, someone started setting up the karaoke. 

“Are you going to sing, Adachi-san?” Rokkaku asked.

Adachi quickly shook his head. He never sang, and he wasn’t going to start today. Rokkaku just shrugged and bounced out of his seat when Momose-san called for volunteers. He sang pretty well, Adachi had to admit, but when it came to the rap, Adachi was very impressed on how good he was. The bus cheered for him when the song ended. 

“Who’s next? Kurosawa-san?” Rokkaku called. 

* * *

Kurosawa wanted to shrink in his seat when his name was called. Fortunately (well not really, it was still embarrassing, but Kurosawa would take what he could get), Urabe started laughing so hard he got into a coughing fit, and several of the girls in his “fanclub” started tittering as well, clearly remembering the last time Kurosawa was asked to sing, five years ago. 

“Kid, just because Kurosawa is good at sales doesn’t mean he can sing well. He’s banned from the machine,” Urabe said once he calmed down, wiping tears from his eyes. 

“Really?” Rokkaku asked, craning his neck to find Kurosawa. 

“Trust us, Rokkaku-kun, we don’t want to hurt everyone’s ears. Pick someone else,” someone that Kurosawa couldn’t see called. 

“I’ll do it,” a female voice called out, and Kurosawa watched as Adachi’s seatmate stood up and gracefully took the mike. 

“Okay, Noguchi-san!” Rokkaku bowed to her and sat back down, choosing to sit in a front seat instead of next to Adachi. Kurosawa couldn’t help but watch Adachi, who looked relieved to be alone, as well as curious to why Kurosawa was banned from singing. Kurosawa always thanked his lucky stars that Adachi had been home with his mother at the trip where he had been forced to sing. Everyone’s face when he had tried...Kurosawa had been actually relieved when he had been banned from ever singing again. It meant he wouldn’t have to reach impossible standards for singing, at least. And while some girls had clearly been disappointed, it had let him breathe in the office for a while, until that wave of gossip had passed and the girls had come back. 

The karaoke hour passed, and the kohais surprised Kurosawa with some game called “Heads Up” that they roped Kurosawa into. He had to admit it was fun, but when everything calmed down, he made an excuse of wanting to sleep and sat down next to Adachi, who had been looking out the window for the past hour. He startled a bit when Kurosawa sat next to him, watching him out of the corner of his eye. Kurosawa kept his face under control, but inside he was hurt that Adachi was still slightly suspicious of him. 

“I wanted to sleep, and here seemed quieter,” Kurosawa explained. Adachi seemed to accept that, nodding and turning back to the window. Kurosawa brought out his phone, wanting to listen to some music, plugging in the branch jack he had brought (specifically in hopes that Adachi would listen to music with him) and his earbuds. 

“Do you want to listen?” he asked, showing Adachi that could use his own earbuds if he had any. 

“What? Oh...okay,” Adachi said, clearly flustered, but digging into his pocket and bringing out a pair of very tangled earbuds. Kurosawa watched as Adachi pulled apart the strings with ease, plugging it into the jack when he was finished. Kurosawa went to his music app, pressing play on his classical playlist. 

“Is this okay?” he asked, willing to change it if Adachi wanted. 

“It’s fine,” Adachi said, smiling awkwardly at Kurosawa before turning back to the window. 

Kurosawa internally sighed and closed his eyes. He didn’t think he would actually sleep, as he usually didn’t on busses, but getting some rest was always welcome. 

* * *

Adachi was lost in thought, wondering why Kurosawa would want to sit next to him of all people, even if he was quiet, and why he would offer to share his music. But the classical music was nice, and the thrum of the bus was steady, and before he knew it, he was dozing off, head against the window. 

* * *

When Adachi’s head hit Kurosawa’s shoulder, Kurosawa couldn’t believe his luck. Adachi seemed to be murmuring in his sleep, and while Kurosawa was tempted to pull out his earbuds to catch the words, he didn’t want to disturb him from his slumber. The next two hours seemed to fly by, and when they got close to the hotel, the Chief stood up and announced that they had picked everyone’s roommate, to “encourage friendships within the different sections.” Kurosawa held his breath as the Chief started going down the list. He wanted to snort at whoever thought Urabe and Rokkaku was a good combo, but when he heard his name followed by Adachi’s, he wanted to cheer. Adachi was still asleep, though, and Kurosawa marvelled at how deep a sleeper Adachi was. When the bus finally stopped, Kurosawa gently shook Adachi, but they were the only ones left on the bus when he finally roused. 

“Are we there yet?” Adachi asked groggily. 

“Yes, we are, come on, we’re roommates.” Kurosawa said, gently. “We have to get our luggage, then we’re all eating dinner when we’ve gotten settled in.” 

* * *

Roommates with Kurosawa. Adachi couldn’t believe his luck. In some ways, this was better than being stuck with someone like Rokkaku, who was probably too loud for Adachi, or someone he didn’t know at all. He numbly followed Kurosawa out of the bus, accepting the luggage from Urabe, who had waited with Kurosawa’s and Adachi’s suitcases when everyone else had gone in, probably to escape the cold. 

“Good luck, Kurosawa, he kicks in his sleep,” Urabe said, grinning at Adachi. “He’s got a mean kick for someone so quiet.” 

“We’ll be fine, thank you Urabe-san,” Kurosawa said firmly, startling Adachi. He steered Adachi towards the hotel. 

“...he’s right you know,” Adachi said, feeling like he should warn Kurosawa. “Everyone says I move a lot in my sleep, and I remember cousins saying I kicked them multiple times when they stayed over.” 

“That’s okay, I was on the swim team and basketball, I can handle some knocks against my body,” Kurosawa said, grinning at Adachi. 

“...Oh,” Adachi said quietly. 

* * *

Kurosawa wished he could reassure Adachi more, but he wasn’t sure how to. He accepted the room keys from the Chief, finding out they were in room 219, and waited for Adachi to follow him into the elevator. 

“You were asleep, you didn’t hear who Urabe-san was paired with,” Kurosawa said, trying to break the tension. 

“Oh?” 

“Rokkaku.”

Adachi snorted before covering his mouth, his eyes wide. Kurosawa wished he could have recorded that, having rarely heard Adachi laugh. He wanted to hear it over and over, and to be the reason Adachi laughed. 

“Are you ready for dinner?” Kurosawa asked, and got his answer when Adachi’s stomach growled. 

“Well, let’s get our stuff in, then, and go down to dinner,” Kurosawa said, trying not to smile. 

* * *

Adachi followed Kurosawa into the room, which had one bed, as expected. Adachi was used to this, at least. He would take whichever side and apologize to whomever he was sharing the bed with, warning them that they would probably be kicked and he wouldn’t be offended if they put up a barrier to combat that. 

“Which side do you want?” Kurosawa asked as he closed the door, gently nudging Adachi further in. 

“Oh...I’m not picky,” Adachi said, running his fingers through his hair. He didn’t want to make the decision. Kurosawa was too nice to even offer. 

“...okay, I guess I’ll take the left then?” Kurosawa said. “We can put our stuff away and then go down to dinner, yeah?” 

Adachi nodded, feeling a little overwhelmed at sharing a room with the company favorite, but glad Kurosawa seemed to understand. Adachi watched as Kurosawa neatly put his stuff away, leaving half of the drawer empty, and hanging up his jackets in the closet. 

“Adachi? Don’t you want to put your stuff away?” Kurosawa asked. 

“I usually just leave my stuff in the suitcase…” Adachi admitted, rubbing his neck. 

“Well, hang up your jackets at least, so they don’t get wrinkled.” Kurosawa handed him a hanger, so Adachi nodded and got out his two jackets, hanging them up next to Kurosawa’s. He moved the suitcase to be next to his side of the bed, closing it but not zipping it back up. 

“Ready?” Kurosawa asked. 

Adachi nodded, and went through the door that Kurosawa opened for him. 

* * *

Kurosawa desperately wanted to go back to the room, but knew that as the “company favorite” he would be expected to stay and drink, so he made sure to pace himself, only drinking when there were “cheers” and watching Adachi whenever he got the chance. Adachi was at the corner of the table, mostly staring at the table, but occasionally joining in if someone talked to him, which wasn’t often. When Adachi finished his glass of beer, he quietly slipped away, and Kurosawa debated with himself if he could get away with leaving, when Rokkaku gave him another glass of beer. He sighed and accepted it. 

* * *

Adachi showered and pulled on his pajamas, wondering when Kurosawa was going to come in. He wanted to sleep, but didn’t want Kurosawa to feel like he had to be extra quiet or anything, so he threw the TV on, flipping through channels until he found a movie that looked halfway interesting. He got out his phone and was texting Tsuge when Kurosawa came into the room, looking tired. Adachi grabbed the remote and turned off the TV, leaving the room eerily silent. 

“Kurosawa?” Adachi asked, as Kurosawa was just staring at him. “Are you going to shower?” 

Kurosawa seemed to snap out of it, nodding and grabbing his pajamas and going to the bathroom. 

* * *

Adachi was going to be the death of him. Kurosawa couldn’t believe his luck on getting to share a room with him. His adorable bedhead would be the first thing he would see the next morning. Adachi probably hadn’t realized his hair had been sticking up, probably from rubbing it dry. Kurosawa put his face in his hands and steadied his breathing. He could do this. 

He left the bathroom, finding the room much dimmer than before, only the light next to Kurosawa on. Adachi seemed to be asleep, curled up near the edge of the bed. So far, Urabe’s warning seemed to be false, although if Adachi said he moved, he probably did. Kurosawa undid the sheets on his side and turned off the light, plunging the room into darkness. He laid on his back, unsure if he would sleep at all with Adachi by his side. One hour passed, then two, and Adachi started moving, and okay, Urabe was right, he  _ did  _ have a mean kick. Adachi tossed and turned, but he seemed to be deeply asleep. But when Adachi turned onto Kurosawa’s chest, he seemed to calm down, sighing deeply in his sleep and putting his arms under Kurosawa like he was a teddy bear. Kurosawa froze, unsure what to do, but also wanting to treasure the moment. He sighed and put one hand in Adachi’s hair, the other arm over his own head. Before he knew it, Adachi’s even breathing lulled him to sleep as well. 

* * *

Adachi woke up to an empty bed, his side of the bed extremely rumpled, while Kurosawa’s side looked like no one had slept in it. Of course. He sat up and stretched, wondering what was on the list of things to do. If it were up to him, he would just stay in the room or onsen all day, but there were supposed “team building” events to do. Adachi made a face but went through his suitcase, getting out the clothes he needed, waiting for the bathroom so he could change. When Kurosawa came out, he went in, sneezing at the smell of Kurosawa’s hair product. 

* * *

Kurosawa stopped in his tracks at Adachi’s sneeze. He hadn’t meant to do that, he had just been doing his normal routine. Kurosawa made a mental note to not use the hair products the next day. He didn’t want Adachi to be made more uncomfortable than he already was. Plus, it wasn’t like they were at work. Kurosawa could relax a little. He waited for Adachi, then the two of them headed down to breakfast. 

* * *

Adachi listened to Urabe complain about Rokkaku’s snoring throughout breakfast. He couldn’t help but smile, since apparently Rokkaku sounded “like a train”, and wondered who had put those two together. Fujisaki, from his section, came and sat with them, politely saying good morning to him and Urabe. 

“Are you two ready for today?” she asked, saying her thanks before neatly tearing her croissant. 

“Not really,” Adachi admitted. He didn’t like the team building activities, since it never made any of his coworkers more accepting of him or anything. They mostly just wasted everyone’s time. 

“Some of these juniors seem excited, at least,” Fujisaki said lightly, looking past Adachi to someone behind him. Adachi turned and saw Rokkaku bugging Kurosawa, asking what the activities were. Adachi smiled a little, feeling bad for Kurosawa to be stuck with such an excitable kohai. 

* * *

Kurosawa watched as something Fujisaki said made Adachi smile, and did his best to tamp the rising feeling of jealousy down. He would be the one with Adachi later that night, at the very least. He ignored Rokkaku, saying he didn’t know what the activities were, which wasn’t even a lie. Kurosawa just knew it would be more of the same thing, where all the girls would try to be on his team. He sighed and finished his breakfast. 

* * *

The two of them walked into their shared room, sighing with relief when they entered. Adachi caught Kurosawa’s eye and couldn’t help but laugh, at least a little. The annoying part of the day was over and they could go to the onsen. The two of them gathered their supplies, the silence not as awkward as it had been the night before, Adachi felt. 

When they got into the onsen, Adachi sighed with happiness. The hot water felt so good, and it relaxed his muscles, which he hadn’t realized had been so tense. Kurosawa was on the other side, looking...nervous? Adachi didn’t know what Kurosawa had to be nervous about, it wasn’t like the girls of his fan club could get in. He watched Kurosawa for a bit, wondering what was going on in that head of his, before Urabe started talking about random nonsense, effectively stealing Adachi’s attention. 

* * *

Kurosawa was trying not to lose his mind, as Adachi looked so cute with his shoulders poking out of the water. His hair had settled down from the morning and wasn’t as messy as usual. When Urabe came in, loud as always, Kurosawa couldn’t help but feel annoyed, but when Rokkaku came in as well, Kurosawa knew his patience was about to be really tested. At least Rokkaku seemed to be having fun. 

Adachi stayed in the onsen for a good forty-five minutes, and when he told Urabe he was getting out, Kurosawa went to follow. He knew Adachi might not appreciate it, but he couldn’t resist. Who knew when he would get another opportunity? Adachi seemed okay with it, at least, giving him a bit of side eye but otherwise not reacting. 

* * *

Adachi fell on the bed, dinner over, shower taken. It had been a long day and all he wanted to do was sleep. Kurosawa joined him, looking as perfect as always, his hair blown dry with the hotel hair dryer. 

“Good night, Adachi,” Adachi heard.

“Good night, Kurosawa,” Adachi murmured, vaguely thinking about how perfect Kurosawa was, and such a perfect gentleman. 

* * *

Kurosawa woke up, the alarm clock beeping. He went to turn it off and froze. Uh oh. 

* * *

“Adachi, Adachi, wake up,” Adachi couldn’t figure out why Kurosawa’s voice sounded odd until he opened his eyes. He was staring at himself. (Also it appeared that they had been cuddling, but that wasn’t the main issue here.) He sat up, accidentally hitting Kurosawa (in his own body) as his arms went out to rub his hair. 

“Sorry, Kurosawa!” Adachi said, feeling frantic. He couldn’t be stuck in Kurosawa’s body, not  _ again _ , and especially not  _ here _ . 

“It’s okay,” Kurosawa said, wincing, as he rubbed his arm. Adachi winced in sympathy, reflexively. It was weird seeing his own face look at him so concernedly. (Actually it was weird that anybody looked at him with concern, but having it be his own face took the cake.) 

* * *

Kurosawa couldn’t believe it had happened again. The first time seemed to be a birthday fluke, but this...why had it happened again? He couldn’t pinpoint why, but he had a feeling the forehead kiss wouldn’t work again. He took Adachi’s hands in his, marvelling at how much smaller his hands were than when he was in his own body. His fingers were long, but still, smaller than Kurosawa’s own. Slightly in a daze, he brought up Adachi’s hands, ignoring the fact that it was his own face looking at him, and kissed first the right, then the left hand. As before, he felt dizzy and his own soul returned to his body. 

* * *

Adachi managed to not faint this time, but it was a near thing. Why had it happened again? Kurosawa didn’t deserve to be stuck in his body ever, even if it had only lasted a few minutes this time. He flinched when he felt Kurosawa pull the blanket around him, making Kurosawa pause. 

“Do you want me to stop?” Kurosawa asked. “I just figured you’d feel better…” he trailed off. 

Adachi shook his head. He wanted to be wrapped up so he could calm down, and he remembered how Kurosawa had taken care of him the first time it had happened. Kurosawa finished wrapping the blanket around him, then left, to change, Adachi guessed. 

When Kurosawa came out, he was indeed in different clothes, but his hair was down. Adachi had never seen him with his hair like that. Even when he was in Kurosawa’s body, he had brushed his hair to be off the forehead, copying Kurosawa’s usual style, though without the product. It made Kurosawa look younger, much younger. Adachi thought he liked it, liked seeing Kurosawa not look perfectly put together. 

“Your hair!” Adachi blurted out, blushing when Kurosawa turned to him, in the middle of putting his pajamas away. 

“Oh...the product made you sneeze yesterday, so I decided to not wear it today. Are you feeling better?” 

Adachi blinked at him, dumbfounded that Kurosawa would do that for him. 

“Adachi?” 

“What? Oh...yes, I feel better. I’m just...going to go get dressed...yes.” Adachi got out of his cocoon and grabbed his clothes, wondering what exactly was going on, but grateful that he was back in his body, even if it meant that he would have to deal with all the team building nonsense again. 

* * *

Kurosawa waited till he heard the lock click, then grabbed a pillow and smushed his face in it. Adachi looked even cuter than he had ever imagined. The day before, he had woken up first and wanted to get out of the way before he crossed a boundary. Adachi had moved back to his side of the bed by morning, which Kurosawa was both grateful for and upset about. But this morning, once they were back in their bodies…Kurosawa got to see Adachi’s bedhead, and got the chance to feel how his hands felt in his. Kurosawa knew he couldn’t speak for Adachi, but his hands felt  _ right  _ in his. It still amazed Kurosawa how small Adachi’s hands were for his size. The door opening meant Kurosawa had to throw the pillow down before Adachi saw how much of a mess he was. 

“Kurosawa? I’m sorry that this happened again,” Adachi said, avoiding Kurosawa’s eyes. 

“Why are you apologizing?” Kurosawa couldn’t help but ask. 

“Well, the first time happened on my birthday, didn’t it? So it’s probably my fault.” Adachi sounded miserable and all Kurosawa wanted to do was take Adachi into his lap and stroke his hair. But Adachi didn’t feel like that towards him, so Kurosawa just took a deep breath before replying. 

“I don’t think it’s your fault,” he said lightly. 

Adachi shook his head, clearly disagreeing. Kurosawa didn’t know what to do, so he just put his hand on Adachi’s shoulder, squeezing it before letting go. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Characters: exist  
> Me: so this is a place to put all my neuroses right? cool
> 
> Also, discord peeps: spot more of the agendas lmaoooooooooo


	3. Where?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Accidental "meet-the-parents" means Adachi finds out about Kurosawa's feelings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This wasn't meant to be this long...whoops

Adachi woke up and had no idea where he was. It wasn’t his mom’s house, where he had been spending the night. It also wasn’t his apartment, it wasn’t Kurosawa’s apartment, and it wasn’t Tsuge’s apartment. He ruffled his hair, stressed, and felt what felt like Kurosawa’s hair under his fingertips. Since the room was still dark, he reached over, trying to see if there was a lamp or anything next to him. There wasn’t anything on the right side, so he rolled over to see if there was anything on the left side, only to find the bed was much bigger than he had thought. If he had to guess, this was a king sized bed. Adachi was very confused now, but found a lamp on the left side and turned it on. The lamp didn’t have too much light to give, but he could spot a lightswitch near one of the doors now. He slipped out of the bed, padding over and turning the lights on, wincing when they were brighter than he expected. But since the lightswitch was the fancy kind that could dim the lights or make them different colors, he made the lights the brightness he wanted before walking back to the nightstand, looking for glasses. Yes, these were the same ones Kurosawa had the first time he switched bodies. While unhappy about switching bodies  _ again,  _ at least it was Kurosawa. But that didn’t explain where he was.

Adachi looked around once the glasses were on his face. The room didn’t have much personality, despite being nearly as big as Adachi’s entire apartment. There was a wardrobe next to a...trophy case? Adachi walked over, surprised at how bad his knees felt. He couldn’t really talk about the second time, but the first time he had been in Kurosawa’s body, his knees had felt fine. But right now? They were creaking with every other step. Adachi frowned, but when he looked at the trophy case, he understood. There were awards for basketball, awards for the back-stroke of swimming, and even an award for baseball. There were pictures of Kurosawa jumping up and making a shot, Kurosawa diving into a pool, as well as pictures of him and his teams. Adachi looked at them, trying to figure out what was bothering him. It wasn’t Kurosawa’s expressions in the photos, he usually looked happy enough. It wasn’t the fact that there were also calligraphy awards and other school awards, so what was it…? Adachi bit his lip, and turned away. He knew he had to be in Kurosawa’s childhood home, and it looked like Kurosawa came from money. He saw a desk in the corner and went over to investigate. There wasn’t anything on it, and the shelves in the room held old textbooks and things. Adachi knew there was something bothering him other than the lack of personality, but couldn’t figure it out. 

Adachi decided to get dressed, going to the wardrobe and finding nothing but nice clothes. Some of these clothes had to be worth more than a week’s salary, he thought. He tried the drawers, finally finding one pair of khakis and a button down he felt comfortable wearing. As he was getting dressed, he figured out what was bothering him: even though Kurosawa didn’t live here, there wasn’t a speck of dust to be seen. 

* * *

Kurosawa woke up to the buzzing of a phone, which was weird, considering he always had his phone on silent. What was also weird was how small this bed seemed. Even Adachi’s bed in his apartment wasn’t this small. He opened his eyes to a small bedroom, a breeze making the curtain over the window across from him flutter. Kurosawa looked at his hands, and they were Adachi’s small ones, not his usual veiny big ones. Okay, so he was back in Adachi’s body, but where was he? He grabbed the phone off the nightstand, which held several mecha figurines. 

“Adachi?” he asked when he picked up. 

“Kurosawa?” Kurosawa nodded before he realized Adachi couldn’t see that. “It’s me.” 

“I appear to be at your house, and if you’re in my body, I guess that means you’re in my house, then?” 

“I guess so,” Kurosawa answered, his eyes roaming Adachi’s room. There was a bookshelf full of manga, all of it clearly well-read, and a desk that had a cork board full of drawings above it. There were pictures of Adachi with his parents on the walls, making Kurosawa smile, and a white dresser with peeling dinosaur stickers on it. Glow in the dark star stickers were on the ceiling and the top parts of the walls. While some of it was clearly a little outdated, Kurosawa could see Adachi’s personality shining through all of it. He felt a rush of emotion, which meant he didn’t catch what Adachi was saying on the phone. 

“Kurosawa! Is the connection bad? You haven’t answered my question,” Adachi said, sounding concerned. 

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” Kurosawa asked.

“I said I was going to try and come over, since if I stay here I’m just going to mess everything up, if that was okay with you?” Adachi said. 

“Who else is here, though?” Kurosawa asked, checking the time. It was about seven in the morning, which was early for his family. 

“Just my mom, my father passed when I was seventeen, she’s probably going to get up soon and make breakfast. The map says I can be there in an hour by train, so are there any special directions?” 

“Special directions? And Adachi, just take a taxi, that’s easier.”

“To get out of the house. Your bathroom alone is fancier than most hotels I’ve been in, Kurosawa,” Adachi sounded a little overwhelmed. “And that’s much too expensive!” 

Kurosawa felt a little guilty about what he was going to do, but he also did want to save his knees, so he had to do it. 

“Adachi, last night my knees hurt pretty bad, are they better today?” 

“Oh…no, they hurt. I’ll take the taxi, but let me pay you back!”

“Adachi, it’s fine. It’s my money, so please don’t worry about it. But if you’re coming over, what should I tell your mom?” 

“That...a friend is coming over, I guess? She’s pretty easy-going, and has always wanted me to make friends. But how do I get out of this house, Kurosawa?” 

“If you want to leave through the back, the door next to the wardrobe leads outside, and there’s a gate if you keep walking straight. The passcode is 27220602, and you can call a taxi if you turn left and walk about 500 meters. Text me when you’re close, okay?” 

“I will, but can you repeat the password? Let me get a piece of paper.” 

Kurosawa heard the rustling of paper, figuring Adachi must have gotten it from the desk. 

“Ready?” 

“Mhm.”

“2-7-2-2-0-6-0-2.” 

“2-7-2-2-0-6-0-2,” Kurosawa heard Adachi softly murmur. “Thanks Kurosawa. Sorry about this happening again.”

“It’s not your fault,” Kurosawa said automatically. 

“You don’t know that,” Adachi said. 

“You don’t know if it isn’t your fault,” Kurosawa countered. 

“Kiyoshi? Who are you talking to so early?” a rap on the door made Kurosawa jump. 

“A friend,” Kurosawa called back, trying to calm his racing heart. He hadn’t realized that they had been on the phone for nearly fifteen minutes. 

“A friend, you say? Are they coming over or something? You’re rarely up at this hour, let alone talking to a ‘friend’!”

“Uh...they are actually. In about...thirty-five minutes? Depending on traffic.” Kurosawa winced at how he sounded, feeling like Adachi probably didn’t sound like that. 

“Okay then, you can come and help me with breakfast then, if this is all the notice I get!” Despite her words, Kurosawa got the feeling she was smiling, even behind the door. 

“Kurosawa, I’m leaving now, I’ll talk to you later, okay?” 

“Okay, bye” 

* * *

Adachi walked out of Kurosawa’s room, breathing a sigh of relief when he was out. The room was so big, yet so devoid of personality, that Adachi felt like he was suffocating. Even the art in there had been minimalist at best, and Adachi couldn’t believe that Kurosawa grew up in that place. He found the gate, marvelling at how fancy the iron-wrought decorations on it were. He put in the code and it swung open silently. Adachi turned left and started calling for a taxi, making sure he had the necessary money in his pocket. He waited on the corner once he got there, blowing on his hands in the cold early winter morning. He hadn’t wanted to snoop, so he probably needed more than the coat he had grabbed, but too late now. Fortunately, the cab came quickly and he got in, giving the directions to his mother’s house. He sat back, reflecting on Kurosawa and his personality. Someone who grew up in that kind of house and was still this kind was someone who was actively working on their kindness, Adachi realized. He couldn’t imagine growing up there, since he grew up with loving parents that encouraged him to try his best, and if his best wasn’t what society expected, that was okay. His mom had been surprised when he went into a salaryman’s job, instead of an artist or mangaka, but once he had reassured her that he was happy enough, she had let it go. He liked being able to draw to relax, not make it his job with deadlines or anything. He suddenly wondered what Kurosawa’s hobbies were, and if he had chosen them.

* * *

“Kiyoshi, come on, get dressed and help me in the kitchen!” Adachi’s mother rapped on the door again. 

“Coming!” Kurosawa said, looking through the dresser and finding some of Adachi’s high school clothes. He smiled, but these wouldn’t fit. He looked around and saw a closet, opening it to find some wrinkled long sleeved t-shirts and jeans. He put them on, feeling how soft they were from being worn so much. He opened the door and heard music, so he followed that, finding himself in a small, cozy kitchen. 

“Finally, here, you can chop these vegetables! Cubes, and not too big, please.” Adachi’s mom was a small woman, with her hair in a ponytail at the back of her neck. When she turned to him, Kurosawa could see where Adachi got his eyes and mouth from. Her nose was different, and her chin was pointed, but Adachi was clearly her son. 

“Kiyoshi? You sure are spacing out more than usual. Are you sure you’re bringing a friend over and not someone more important?” 

Kurosawa couldn’t bring himself to speak, instead taking the vegetables she held out in silence and chopping them into cubes as she said. He noticed that the music he had heard was from a small cassette player, playing some old pop tunes he vaguely remembered hearing at some concerts his parents had dragged him to. He was surprised that she was still using one, considering that almost everyone just streamed music now. He recalled his own house, the fancy tape boombox turning into a fancy CD player, then an expensive speaker set up. But here she was, still using the cassette player. He had a feeling Adachi did his homework on the table in the next room over, listening to this kind of music as he worked on math or whatever, even though he had a desk in his room. Kurosawa couldn’t imagine living in a household where music was usually shared. If he wanted to listen to music, he had to use earbuds. The fancy set-ups were sometimes for parties, but mostly for show. He swallowed a lump of emotion and worked on the vegetables, silently showing them to Adachi’s mother when he was finished. 

“Oh, thank you, Kiyoshi, here, mix this. And gently! We don’t need a repeat of Yoshio’s birthday party.” 

Kurosawa couldn’t help but wonder what had happened at that party, but he assumed it involved a mess. He mixed the eggs given to him expertly, having cooked for about ten years now. He had learned when he had moved out at twenty, burning a lot of pans at first until he got good at it. He had had to learn by himself, since his parents just relied on the chefs and his elder sister had no interest in it. He wanted to teach Adachi, but if Adachi hadn’t learned with his mom, he probably never would. 

“Is your friend nearly here?” Adachi’s mother asked as she took the bowl of eggs out of Kurosawa’s hands. 

“I’m not sure, he said he would text when he was close,” Kurosawa said honestly. In his head he calculated where Adachi probably was, and figured he was about fifteen minutes away. “Maybe fifteen minutes?” 

Adachi’s mother nodded. “Okay, then you can go set the table for three.” 

Kurosawa nodded, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious he had no idea where things were, but finding things quickly and putting them on the table.

“Kiyoshi, I think you need to visit more if you can’t find things,” Adachi’s mother said with a smirk. Kurosawa figured he hadn’t been as subtle as he hoped, but nodded in response. 

Kurosawa heard the buzz of Adachi’s phone and went to check it. “He’s nearly here.”

“Okay, go wait for him in the living room, there’s slippers in the closet. Hopefully your father’s will fit him, since you have those ridiculously small feet,” she said, her smirk revealing the same slight dimple Adachi had. 

Kurosawa nodded and made his way to the living room, finding the closet she spoke of and opening it to a shelf full of shoes. He found a pair of slippers bigger than the rest and did some mental calculations. Yes, they should fit, if barely. He thought about Adachi, about to arrive in the wrong body, and how they should probably fix it as quickly as possible. He didn’t know why this kept happening, but at the moment, it was very inconvenient. Kurosawa thought a bit and figured he had a solution. 

When the doorbell rang, he bounced up from the chair he was sitting in, peeking through the peephole and being greeted with his own face. He opened and quickly pecked Adachi’s right cheek, having to go on his tiptoes to reach. There was the dizziness, and now he was outside, looking at Adachi’s stunned expression. 

* * *

Adachi numbly moved out of the way, letting Kurosawa in. He realized he was holding his father’s old slippers, and handed them to Kurosawa. 

“I set the table, so I guess we’re all eating breakfast together,” Kurosawa whispered quietly. Adachi nodded, glad to be back in his body, but unsure of what to do in this situation. It oddly felt like a “meet the parents”, although he wondered where that thought had come from once he thought it. He led Kurosawa to the table, sitting in his usual spot and indicating that Kurosawa should sit next to him. 

“Kiyoshi? Who’s your friend?” his mom called out, bringing out several dishes and placing them on the table. 

“Mom, this is Kurosawa, a coworker of mine. Kurosawa, this is my mom.” 

Kurosawa stood up and bowed. “Hello.”

“My, so polite! Let me get the rest of the food and you can explain to me why you came over at eight in the morning with no prior notice,” she said, sending a pointed look to Adachi. 

Adachi gulped. 

* * *

“So you two started at the same time? I remember when Kiyoshi called me to tell me he had gotten the job at Toyokawa, I was so proud of him.” Adachi’s mother said to Kurosawa after they had started eating. 

“He’s the best salesman in our office,” Adachi mumbled. 

“Oh, are you?” she asked, zeroing on Kurosawa. 

“I’ve won awards, yes, but Adachi here works on all the ‘behind-the-scenes’ data I could never dream of fully understanding.” Kurosawa said honestly. Yes, he had helped Adachi with some data collections before, and knew how to use the basics of Excel, but sometimes he looked at Adachi’s computer and felt dizzy. 

“So modest as well, so what do you do? Kiyoshi’s work is all numbers and it makes no sense to me, no matter how much he explains it.”

Adachi was nodding like he knew all too well what his mother was talking about. 

“Well, I have to go to other companies to convince them to use our products for their offices, or go to shops and show them how valuable it would be for them to sell our product. That’s about the extent of my job, it’s a lot of clients and meetings.” 

“That sounds exhausting, I hope you take time for yourself, or go to visit friends.” Adachi’s mother said sympathetically. 

Kurosawa didn’t know if it was the emotional exhaustion of waking up in the wrong body, or the fact that his knees hurt again that was affecting his emotions, or something else, but he felt his eyes fill with tears. Usually no one cared how hard he worked except for the outcome that came from the hard work. They didn’t care if he was tired or didn’t like the clients, it was all about getting results. 

“Kurosawa-kun? Are you okay?” Adachi’s mother asked, looking concerned. Adachi also looked a little alarmed, but he was also patting Kurosawa’s back, hesitantly, but still doing it. Kurosawa couldn’t help it as tears started falling. Adachi’s mother got up and grabbed a box of tissues, silently giving the box to Kurosawa, who felt a little overwhelmed. If he dared to cry in his household, he would get told that he had to stop right now or leave the room. For someone to just give him the tissues and accept that he was crying with no judgement, it was foreign to Kurosawa. The tears started falling faster, and he tried to apologize, but couldn’t get the words out.

* * *

Adachi sat next to Kurosawa, feeling an odd sense of deja vu, but he couldn’t figure out why he felt like that, so he ignored it, rubbing small circles on Kurosawa’s back, feeling his eyes prickle as well. He could feel his mom’s gaze on him, wondering what was going on, no doubt, as well the usual “you still tear up when others cry” smile. He shrugged at her, guessing the reason that Kurosawa was crying had something to do with how he himself had felt in that big bedroom. Kurosawa cried silently, Adachi handing him tissues every so often, until Kurosawa sat up, taking off his glasses and wiping his eyes, pasting on a smile that looked fake in Adachi’s eyes. 

“I’m sorry about that,” he said, sounding a little stuffed up. Adachi couldn’t help but smile at how he sounded, since it was a reminder that Kurosawa wasn’t perfect. Kurosawa blew his nose and took a deep breath. 

“Here,” Adachi’s mom said, startling them both. She handed Kurosawa a mug of what smelled like hot chocolate. “This will make you feel better.” 

* * *

Kurosawa accepted the drink, even though he wasn’t really much one for hot chocolate. He took a sip and found it more savory than any other hot chocolate he ever had. 

“What’s in this?” he asked, enjoying it more than he expected. 

“Cinnamon, it’s how the Mexicans enjoy their hot chocolate. Kiyoshi likes it with chili as well, but I wasn’t sure if you would like that. Here, Kiyoshi, here’s yours.” 

Adachi smiled and accepted the mug. Kurosawa sipped his drink, thankful there wasn’t any chili in his, and turned back to his food, which had gone a little cold. The three of them ate, the conversation turning to Christmas, which was coming up in ten days. Adachi admitted that he had no plans, and while Kurosawa ached to include him in any sort of activity, he was afraid of overstepping a boundary. They were clearly in each other’s lives by this point, but Adachi still didn’t seem interested in him like that. 

As they were clearing up the plates, Kurosawa’s phone, which he had left on the table, started lighting up. 

“Kurosawa, your sister is calling,” Adachi said, as he was closest to it. Kurosawa made a face but took the phone when Adachi handed it to him. 

* * *

Adachi felt terrible. He had probably gotten Kurosawa into trouble by leaving, but if he was in Kurosawa’s body, he wouldn’t know how to deal with his family. Adachi had trouble with people at work, people he saw every day. He couldn’t handle new people in the wrong body, especially if it was someone like Kurosawa. And there were clearly expectations for Kurosawa, expectations Adachi would never come close to exceeding. From what he could overhear, Kurosawa was arguing with his sister, and Adachi bit his lip, wondering what he could do. 

* * *

“Aneki, I just needed some air, it wasn’t anything personal!” Kurosawa said. Of course, it wasn’t entirely true, it wasn’t personal, but he needed more than air. 

“Well, Mother is extremely upset, so I hope you’re ready to explain yourself.” his sister said flatly before she hung up. 

Kurosawa rested against the door frame before he looked up at Adachi, who looked upset at the entire situation. 

“Kurosawa, is everything okay?” he asked. 

“I need to go back,” Kurosawa said, trying to smile reassuringly, but he was sure he wasn’t doing a good job. 

“I’ll come with you then,” Adachi said, nodding in a way Kurosawa was pretty sure was meant for himself. Kurosawa felt a pang, knowing Adachi was probably trying to make things right.

“Are you two boys leaving?” Adachi’s mother asked, wiping her hands on a towel as she came in. 

“I’m so sorry, but yes, I have to leave. Thank you for making me breakfast on such short notice,” Kurosawa said, bowing. 

“It was nothing,” she said, waving his apology away. “Kiyoshi, the next time you come over, you’re explaining more, though, okay?” 

“Yes Mom,” Adachi mumbled, going over and giving her a hug before he left. Kurosawa watched, wondering what it would be like to grow up in a home like this. 

* * *

Adachi watched Kurosawa out of the corner of his eye, the taxi ride getting more tense as they got closer to Kurosawa’s home. Kurosawa, usually all grace and relaxation, was stiffening up, so Adachi reached over, not quite sure what he was doing, but wanting to make Kurosawa relax. He put his hand on Kurosawa’s shoulder, and Kurosawa looked at him, clearly wondering what was going on. 

“Kurosawa? I’m sorry,” he said, feeling bad for getting Kurosawa into this mess. 

“Don’t be,” Kurosawa said. “This was probably the better option, considering how...ruthless my family can be. And I’m sorry you’re meeting them under these circumstances.” 

Adachi tilted his head, wondering what other circumstances he would have met them under, but deciding to ignore it.

“Well, I’m here for you.” 

* * *

It was taking all of Kurosawa’s willpower to not lean into Adachi’s touch, but he had to ignore it and get ready to face his parents. The taxi pulled up and Kurosawa paid the driver, feeling ill at ease. He took a deep breath, realizing his current outfit was going to make his probably already angry parents angrier. He knew Adachi picked clothes mostly for convenience and comfort, but this wasn’t going to help. He rang the doorbell, since Adachi hadn’t grabbed his keys. A maid opened the door, and he nodded to her as she bowed to him. Adachi bowed to her, and the two of them took off their shoes, Kurosawa giving him a pair of slippers meant for guests. He motioned for Adachi to follow him, although part of him wanted to just put Adachi back in the taxi and let him go home. He went to his mother’s office, where he knew his mother would be, and knocked once, coming in when he heard an “enter.” 

“Yuichi. Who is this?” Kurosawa’s mother asked when she saw Adachi, who bowed before coming behind Kurosawa. 

“My coworker, Adachi. He had an emergency and I was the one who could help him, so I did,” Kurosawa said, making his face blank. 

“Is this true?” Kurosawa’s mother asked Adachi. 

“Yes ma’am,” Adachi said, bowing again after he answered. Kurosawa couldn’t see him, but he could  _ feel  _ Adachi’s nervous energy coming off him in waves. 

“And you didn’t feel the need to leave a note or anything, scaring the maid when she came to wake you up for breakfast?” she asked.

“Mother, I am thirty years old,” Kurosawa said, clenching his teeth. He knew his mother didn’t care if the maid had actually been scared, she just wanted to make a point. 

“Still, you could have let us know, considering you rarely come to visit, instead spending your time at that ridiculous little stationery company.” 

Kurosawa steadied his breathing, knowing she was just trying to get under his skin. 

“Kurosawa is the best worker at the company!” Adachi blurted out. Kurosawa couldn’t believe his ears, that shy little Adachi was sticking up for him. 

“Is that so? He still should be working under his father’s company, where he could be making a lot more than just pushing pencils.” 

“Kurosawa doesn’t push pencils, he meets with clients and convinces them to use our products, a very important job!” Adachi sounded a little out of breath, but he kept going. “He deserves all the awards he wins, and he wins them every year! With merit! I’ve seen how he does his research!” 

Kurosawa couldn’t hear what his mother was saying at first, not with the blood pounding in his ears that Adachi apparently had observed him over the last several years. 

“Yuichi! Why is he speaking to me like that?” Kurosawa’s mother sounded mad, and Kurosawa knew he had missed something. 

“I’m sorry, Mother, I should have left a note. I was focusing on helping Adachi and forgot my duties as a good son,” Kurosawa said, not answering her question and knowing it might bite him later, bowing as he apologized. 

“You’ve never even mentioned this coworker before, and yet he’s important enough for you to go after at seven in the morning?” 

From behind the door, Kurosawa could hear a scuffling noise. His sister broke into the room, and Kurosawa closed his eyes. 

“Mother, as Yuichi said, he’s thirty years old. And you know what? He’s told me who Adachi is, so you might want to consider why he wouldn’t tell  _ you _ . But yelling at him to help a friend is so rude, especially considering the friend in question is right here, next to him. So if you’ll excuse us, we will be leaving now.” Kurosawa felt his wrist be grabbed and he nearly fell over as his sister started walking, opening his eyes and seeing Adachi being manhandled in the same way. 

“Aneki!” Kurosawa hissed. 

“No, Yuichi, I’m not going to hear it. We are going to go to a cafe right now, no ifs ands or buts.” 

“Aneki!” 

* * *

Adachi, feeling out of it, tried to breathe in the backseat of the car. Kurosawa’s sister was driving, slightly recklessly, and Kurosawa was sitting next to her in the shotgun seat, looking apologetic. 

“Adachi-kun, I’m sorry for our mother. She was not taught tact,” Kurosawa’s sister said, trying to catch Adachi’s eye in the mirror. 

“Wonder where you got that from,” Kurosawa murmured, earning him a punch in the arm. 

Adachi didn’t understand siblings in the slightest. 

* * *

“Adachi-kun, what do you want?” Kurosawa’s sister asked once they were in the cafe. 

“Just a hot tea is fine,” Adachi answered softly, making Kurosawa frown. Adachi was looking down, shooting nervous glances to his sister and occasionally Kurosawa. 

“You sure? This cafe has really good espressos.” 

“Let him be, Aneki,” Kurosawa said, shooting his sister a glare. He knew Adachi was probably a little overwhelmed with everything that had happened. 

His sister sarcastically saluted him, but paid for all three drinks and some desserts. 

The three of them sat down, his sister across from him and Adachi next to him. Kurosawa could feel Adachi fidgeting, wishing he could put his hands over Adachi’s restless fingers. 

The lady at the counter called their number, and Kurosawa’s sister not-so-subtly gestured for him to get it. He rolled his eyes but complied, knees creaking a little. 

* * *

Once Kurosawa left, Kurosawa’s sister slid her razor sharp gaze on Adachi. 

“I’m only going to say this  _ once _ . My little brother has had a crush on you for a long time now. Hurt him and I hurt you. Got it?” 

Adachi could only blink at her, before the meaning of her words crashed into him. All of a sudden, it was too much. He got out of his chair, muttering an apology to Kurosawa when he nearly crashed into him, and escaped outside, hailing the first taxi he saw and getting in before Kurosawa could come after him. 

* * *

“Aneki, what did you SAY to him?” Kurosawa asked, knowing it was fruitless to go after Adachi, who had somehow managed to get a taxi within thirty seconds. 

“I’m just looking out for my little brother,” she shrugged, taking her order and sipping on it. 

Kurosawa closed his eyes so he wouldn’t do something he regretted. 

* * *

Adachi paid the driver and got inside his apartment, collapsing on his bed without bothering to take his shoes off. He took his pillow and hugged it, rolling over to face the wall. What was he supposed to do with the knowledge that Kurosawa liked him? He whined, unsure what to do with this information before remembering that Tsuge had written many, many romance books. He got his phone out of his pocket and texted him. 

**I don’t know what to do, I just found out my**

**coworker has a crush on me, and apparently**

**has had one on me for years.**

**What am I supposed to do with this**

**information?**

**Tsuge! You literally write romance novels.**

**Give me some advice please!**

**Get a cat.**

**Real advice.**

**Well, how do you feel about them?**

**Worry about that before you worry**

**about how they feel about you.**

**I think I got a shovel talk though.**

**Still not your problem. Figure out**

**your feelings, then worry about**

**everything else.**

**Oh...okay, I’ll try that. Thanks.**

**Can’t recommend falling in love. I do**

**recommend a cat.**

How he felt...Adachi rolled to look at the ceiling. He knew he admired Kurosawa. He knew Kurosawa was attractive. But was there anything else to it? He smushed the pillow to his face, not in the mood to think about anything. The events of the day caught up with him and he fell into a troubled sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, Akaso Eiji really does have some small hands and feet for being 5'10 (177 cm)  
> Also, the knees thing wasn't supposed to make an appearance in this fic but I woke up with terrible knee pain and was like FINE BE IN THIS FIC, HUMBLE KUROSAWA EVEN MORE.


	4. How?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rainy day in

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shout out to rhythmia for telling my cast-iron using self how tf non-stick pans work

**2.**

Adachi woke up in a dark room that was warmer than it should have been. He scrunched his eyes tight, praying that when he opened them he would be in his small apartment and not Kurosawa’s nice one. 

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Adachi opened his eyes and sighed. As he had expected, he was back in Kurosawa’s body. It had been a few weeks since the last swap, Christmas and New Year’s passing as usual. He had been avoiding Kurosawa, feeling like a coward, but he was still unsure of his feelings. He had tried to figure out what he felt about Kurosawa, but since he had no experience to measure it against, he was still as jumbled as when Kurosawa’s sister told him about Kurosawa’s feelings. He whined, wanting to just go back to sleep and maybe magically appear in his own body, but he had a feeling that wouldn’t work. Nope, the solution was of course to go to Kurosawa and fix it with him. If he was recalling correctly, Kurosawa had also taken the day off, but it couldn’t hurt to check. He found Kurosawa’s phone and sent him a text, asking him if he had the day off or if he had to call. 

* * *

Kurosawa had been up for a while in Adachi’s body when the text came through. He smiled at Adachi’s thoughtfulness and answered that he had indeed taken the day off. He stood up and stretched, going to the kitchen to see if there was anything for the two of them to eat. To his surprise, there was a little more than just convenience store foods. There was a half-empty bag of sliced bread on the counter, which was encouraging. There was also a carton of eggs and some vegetables among the ready-made bentos, and even a little bit of butter. Kurosawa felt his heart melt a little. At least he had made this little change in Adachi’s routine. 

* * *

Adachi put on a t-shirt and jeans, as well as the same black and white coat he had worn the first time they switched bodies before putting on Kurosawa’s glasses. He wondered why Kurosawa didn’t wear them more often, considering how good he looked in them. He got all the necessary items to get over to his own apartment, not noticing how dark the clouds above him were as he walked to the subway. 

* * *

Kurosawa heard the pitter patter of rain as he tried to puzzle out what to make for breakfast. He raised his eyebrows and went back to figuring out a meal. 

* * *

Adachi spent the subway ride in a daze, wondering why this kept happening. At least this time it wasn’t when they were at each other’s houses. Adachi had managed to come up with an excuse that at least kept his mom from asking too many questions, but he wasn’t sure how convinced she was. But explaining the truth sounded too fantastical and Adachi didn’t want to get into that. He wanted to ruffle and pull at his hair, but it wasn’t his hair to do that to. Kurosawa already had to deal with him in his body, he couldn’t make it worse for him. 

The train announced his stop and Adachi shook off the thoughts, preparing to meet himself yet again. He climbed up the stairs and was greeted by pouring rain. 

“Seriously?” he asked no one in particular. 

* * *

Kurosawa heard the doorbell ring and went to answer it, feeling slightly odd that he was about to let Adachi into his own apartment. He checked to make sure it was indeed Adachi and was greeted with his face. Kurosawa opened the door and moved back to let himself in. Even though it was the fourth time it had happened, it was still weird. 

“Kurosawa, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was supposed to rain!” Adachi said, causing Kurosawa to really look at Adachi. He was dripping wet, Kurosawa’s glasses peeking out of a pocket, hair flat against his head. Kurosawa just reached up on his tiptoes and kissed Adachi (in Kurosawa’s body, his mind traitorously provided) on the left cheek. The dizziness appeared and now Kurosawa was the one dripping wet. 

* * *

“Kurosawa, I’m so sorry, here, let me get you some clothes and you can take a shower,” Adachi said, feeling terrible and slightly panicky that he had done this to Kurosawa. He didn’t want the company favorite to get a cold because of his lack of foresight. He grabbed the biggest pair of pants he owned, a t-shirt, a hoodie, and his biggest, warmest socks, as well as some towels, and directed Kurosawa to the shower. He took the wet coat and wrung it out the best he could in the kitchen sink once Kurosawa was in the bathroom. He got out a hanger and hung it up, putting a towel underneath to catch the drips. He turned his heater up all the way and faced it towards the coat, hoping he wasn’t about to ruin it. 

* * *

Kurosawa waited as the water warmed up, smiling a little as he took off the wet clothes, and looked at the pile of clothes Adachi had given him. He couldn’t lie and say he hadn’t imagined wearing each other’s clothes, but usually in his fantasies, Adachi was wearing his clothes, which were just a tiny bit too big for him...and he needed to stop that line of thought before it got out of hand. He took a deep breath and got in the shower, which was just a little too short for him. The warm water felt good, though, and Kurosawa couldn’t deny the fondness he had for Adachi. He had a feeling when Adachi walked through rain, he didn’t immediately take a shower and put on all these warm clothes. But for others, he would offer what he had. Kurosawa used Adachi’s shower gel and shampoo, filing away the brands for later, then quickly dried off and got dressed. He wrung out the t-shirt and jeans over the tub before coming out of the bathroom, rubbing his hair with his free hand to dry it. 

“Adachi? What should I do with these wet clothes? And do you have my glasses?” he asked, finding Adachi sitting on his bed, wringing his hands. Kurosawa wanted to take those hands in his and tell him that it was alright, but considering Adachi jumped up and took his wet clothes and started hanging them up, Kurosawa wasn’t going to get that chance. 

“Your glasses...I think they’re still in the pocket of your coat,” Adachi answered after a few seconds, clearly trying to remember where he had left them. “They might be wet, I’m sorry, I’ve never had to deal with glasses and rain.” 

“It’s okay,” Kurosawa reassured him, finding them exactly where Adachi had said they were and using the towel around his shoulders to dry them off. 

* * *

Adachi wasn’t sure what to do now, since when he had wrung out Kurosawa’s coat, he had seen what looked like the beginning of breakfast being made. He didn’t want Kurosawa to feel like he had to cook for him, but if Kurosawa was here already, and he liked Adachi…

“Kurosawa?” 

“Hmm? Yes, Adachi?” 

“Can you teach me how to make the omelette you made for me last time?” Adachi knew he probably sounded like he had inhaled helium, but at least he had asked. He couldn’t let Kurosawa out in this rain, either, and this would keep him here. 

Kurosawa spun towards him, nearly falling over but catching himself at the last second. 

* * *

Adachi was asking him to teach him something. Kurosawa couldn’t believe his ears. It took all his self control to not take Adachi by the hand to take him to the kitchen. 

“Of course,” he said, smiling. 

* * *

Kurosawa’s smile was so blinding, Adachi thought. 

* * *

“Do you have any aprons?” Kurosawa asked, remembering what Adachi’s mother had said when he had accidentally been over. 

Adachi frowned and shook his head. 

“That’s okay, we’ll just be careful,” Kurosawa said, taking the nonstick pan off the wall and getting out butter, since Adachi didn’t have any oil. He would have preferred cast-iron pans, but he had to work with what he had. He told Adachi to crack the eggs, three of them, into a bowl, whisking them with chopsticks, before getting out the butter. He put the fire on medium and put some butter in the pan, letting it melt. He kept the fire lower than he usually would so the butter wouldn’t pop and burn Adachi, and made Adachi pour them into the pan to let them start cooking. 

“What vegetables do you have?” Kurosawa asked.

“Scallions and bell peppers.” 

“Bell peppers? You like those?” 

“Yes, I was the weirdo kid that liked bell peppers, but if you don’t want any, we don’t have to add any,” Adachi said, looking slightly defensive. 

“No, no, bell peppers are fine,” Kurosawa said with a laugh. “Wash them please and I’ll cut them up real quick.” 

Adachi did as he was told, peeking over Kurosawa’s shoulder as he cut up the veggies and added them to the pan. Kurosawa wished he would put his arms around him, like they were husbands, but reminded himself to count his blessings. Kurosawa got out the spatula he remembered using last time, carefully lifting one edge of the eggs and folding it over. 

“Here, Adachi, flip it,” Kurosawa gave him the spatula, nodding encouragingly. 

“What if I mess up, though?” Adachi asked, biting his lips. 

“Then we eat scrambled eggs,” Kurosawa shrugged. 

Adachi considered that and nodded, carefully flipping the omelette over and smiling when he managed to do it. 

“Good job!” Kurosawa said. “Now we just wait a little longer and it will be ready. I’ll heat up some bread, as well.” 

“I’ll set up the table, then,” Adachi said, brushing past Kurosawa and getting out plates, leaving them next to Kurosawa. Kurosawa carefully used the spatula to cut the omelette in half, then grabbed the bread and toasted a slice each for them. When that was finished, he turned off the fire and carefully put the pan so no one would get burned by it. He brought the two plates to the table, realizing the breakfast was a little Western, but there wasn’t really anything he could do about it. 

“Itadakimasu” the two of them said. 

“Is it good?” Kurosawa asked.

Adachi looked up and nodded, looking a little apprehensive. Kurosawa didn’t know what was wrong, other than the “we keep switching bodies” problem, but decided to give Adachi his space. 

* * *

Adachi felt bad for being spacey, but he had realized how much he didn’t know compared to Kurosawa. 

“Kurosawa...when did you learn to cook?” Adachi asked, apparently startling Kurosawa enough to make him choke a little bit. “I’m sorry!” he cried, getting up to get Kurosawa some water. 

Kurosawa took the glass gratefully and drank some. Adachi sat back down, wondering why he always caused problems for Kurosawa. 

“Well, I moved out when I was twenty, and I realized I had never learned to cook, but I wanted to learn. I set off a few fire alarms those first few times, not going to lie.” 

“ _ You _ did?” Adachi blurted out. He imagined a younger Kurosawa standing over a burned pan of meat, shell-shocked at an alarm, and couldn’t help the smile that spread over his face.

* * *

Kurosawa’s breath hitched. He wanted to see that smile forever. But it wasn’t meant to be, was it. 

They finished their meal, talking about the best meals they had had and other food adventures. Kurosawa insisted on washing the dishes, so Adachi dried them, and the whole thing felt so domestic, Kurosawa could cry. 

* * *

Adachi had to admit that this, whatever it was, felt nice. But he wasn’t sure what to do next, considering Kurosawa’s clothes were still wet and it was continuing to pour. The table was still out, and Adachi kind of wanted to draw, which was what he usually did when he had the day off. But he had no idea if Kurosawa was into that sort of thing. 

“Kurosawa? I’m going to draw, if that’s okay with you...you can play on the Switch, or read some manga, or if you want to draw as well…” Adachi said, trailing off and looking at the floor. 

* * *

Kurosawa blinked at Adachi. Adachi was allowing him to draw with him? He knew that Adachi liked to draw, having noticed that Adachi often slipped a blank piece of paper under his papers at meetings and would doodle if he got the chance. 

“Well, I’m not much of an artist, but I’ll try and draw,” Kurosawa said, wanting to at least try if it was something Adachi found such joy in. 

Adachi nodded and got out paper and colored pencils, giving some sheets to Kurosawa. 

“Thank you,” Kurosawa said, grabbing a pencil at random and tapping his chin with it, unsure of what to draw. Adachi, on the other hand, had started drawing with long, sweeping lines, using mostly red, yellow, and blue. Kurosawa started making spirals, mostly to unwind himself. Since it was a green pencil, he decided that it was now a garden, leaving space in between spirals before grabbing a pink pencil to make “flowers.” 

Time passed pleasantly, the rain making a steady background noise. Kurosawa finished his drawing and went up to get a manga, since he didn’t know what to make next. To his surprise, Adachi had the latest volume of Ragna Crimson, the one he hadn’t yet read. He glanced at Adachi, who was clearly absorbed in his drawing, tongue poking out of his lips. He looked at the copy of Ragna Crimson in his hands, trying to see if it had been read yet. It looked like it hadn’t, so Kurosawa put it back and chose a manga at random, as Adachi had so many he had never read. He sat in Adachi’s desk chair, sending glances over to Adachi every so often. 

* * *

Adachi had registered Kurosawa leaving the table, but when he didn’t come back, he forgot that Kurosawa was even in the apartment with him. It was all about him and the drawing, and like he often did when he was alone and drawing, he started humming, the pop songs his mom had played when he was a kid. 

* * *

Kurosawa froze from where he was sitting, stopping the absentminded rotations he had been doing to make sure he was hearing correctly. Yes, that was Adachi humming, sounding much better than Kurosawa could ever hope to sound. He settled back into the chair, smiling to himself that he was allowed to hear Adachi this relaxed. 

Kurosawa lost track of time, just reading and listening to Adachi hum. When a crack of lightning flashed against the window, the thunder rumbling a few seconds later, Kurosawa nearly fell out of the chair. He looked at Adachi, who looked a little startled, but when the next flash of lightning came, Adachi broke out into a big smile. 

“Adachi?” Kurosawa asked. 

“I love lightning storms, don’t you?” Adachi asked, getting up from where he had been sitting and getting closer to the window, his mouth open slightly as he looked at the pouring rain. 

* * *

Adachi couldn’t help but smile at the lightning storm. He didn’t usually have the luxury of seeing them, either being asleep or stuck at his desk when they occurred. He grabbed his comforter and sat down on the floor, which was how he usually spent these storms. Without really thinking about it, he opened his arm, offering Kurosawa to sit with him. 

* * *

Kurosawa stood up slowly. This had to be a dream, right? He sank down next to Adachi, who was now slightly blushing, but when the next flash of lightning came, Adachi’s eyes lit up again and he pulled the comforter closer, prompting Kurosawa to do the same with his end. He kept the hand not holding the comforter in his lap, ignoring the want to put it around Adachi’s waist. He watched Adachi out of the corner of his eye, smiling as Adachi watched the storm with wonder in his eyes. 

The storm was over far too soon for Kurosawa’s liking, but when Adachi stood up, stretching, Kurosawa stood up as well, taking the comforter to the bed and spreading it across. He knew Adachi didn’t make it, but he always had and habit took over. He checked the time on Adachi’s clock next to the bed and made a sound of surprise on how late it had gotten. It was now nearly three in the afternoon and his stomach was making it clear it needed food. 

* * *

Adachi wasn’t sure what had come over him, but sitting with Kurosawa...it had been comfortable. And nice. But now they were both hungry and it was still raining, and Adachi still didn’t have much other than instant foods. Instant ramen did sound good, though. He went to the kitchen and started boiling water, feeling Kurosawa’s gaze on him. He grabbed an extra spicy bowl for himself and a few of the others he had to offer to Kurosawa. 

“Kurosawa? Which one do you want? Sorry that this is all I have, but I have spicy chicken, spicy beef, and extra spicy.” 

“Chicken, please.” 

“Okay, it will be ready in a few minutes.”

Adachi went to clear the table of all the paper on it, smiling at Kurosawa’s swirl garden, making sure to place it out of harm’s way, as well as his abstract drawing of nothing in particular, just a lot of yellow with some red and blue. The kettle turned off, so he filled the bowls and put the chopsticks over them, setting a timer for three minutes. 

“Kurosawa, it’s ready,” he said when the timer went off. Kurosawa smiled and came over, putting the manga he had been reading back on the shelf. 

“Itadakimasu,” they said. Adachi started eating with gusto, while Kurosawa was...picking at it? 

* * *

Kurosawa stared at the ramen. He knew it wasn’t that spicy. It was literally only one chili out of four. But his taste buds were going to say otherwise. He carefully ate a few bites, trying not let Adachi know that this was torture for him. But he was going to eat the whole thing. Drink the broth, too, if he could. He knew Adachi had no idea that he couldn’t handle spice in the slightest, since he himself had no idea Adachi liked the scary black bowls. 

“You like lightning storms, Adachi?” he asked, to avoid having to eat it for a little longer. 

Adachi nodded, his mouth full. How he stood the spice, Kurosawa had no idea. 

“Always have. My dad used to make fun of me, for being scared of so much but not thunder,” he shrugged. 

Kurosawa smiled, liking this Adachi, the Adachi relaxed enough to tell him this. He ate a few more bites of the hated ramen, glad that the warmth of it gave him an excuse on why his nose was getting stuffed. 

“Do you like storms, Kurosawa?” 

Kurosawa considered the question. He had never been scared of them, but he didn’t remember being fascinated by them either. “I don’t think I really think about them unless they inconvenience me, I guess.” 

Adachi nodded at that, but Kurosawa couldn’t help feel like he had somehow disappointed him with that answer. 

The two of them finished eating, with the rain tapering off to a drizzle. Kurosawa went to check on his clothes, finding that the shirt was pretty much dry, but the coat and jeans were still fairly wet. 

“You can just give me my clothes back another day,” Adachi offered. “I should have a bag somewhere you can put these clothes in.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Mhm, let me go find it.”

* * *

Adachi searched for the bag, a big cloth one he used sometimes when he was forced to actually shop for things, finding it behind underneath his bed. He took down the clothes, trying to wring out any more drops onto the towel underneath them before putting them in the bag. 

“Sorry, I’d wrap them in a towel, but then I wouldn’t have any left…” he said awkwardly. 

“That’s okay. Thank you for today, Adachi,” Kurosawa said sincerely as he tied his shoes and stood up.

Adachi ruffled his hair, unsure what to say or think. 

“Well, bye, then.” Kurosawa smiled at him and started to leave, putting the hood of Adachi’s up. 

“Wait, Kurosawa!” Adachi remembered that he had a cap, given to him by a cousin at some family reunion, that he could give Kurosawa to keep the rain off his glasses. He grabbed it and gave it to Kurosawa. “For the rain,” he gestured up at the clouds that didn’t seem likely to drop anymore rain. 

“Oh, thank you, Adachi, bye again.” Kurosawa gave him another blinding smile and left, holding the bag of clothes under his arm. 

* * *

Kurosawa went home in a daze, replaying the day over and over. He took off the hoodie, holding it close, thanking whatever magic was allowing him to be close to Adachi after all these years. He knew it might just be making it worse, but he couldn’t help but hold on to hope that maybe Adachi was starting to fall for him. 

* * *

Adachi looked at the drawing Kurosawa had made, left behind by accident. He put it in a folder in his briefcase, intending to give it back to Kurosawa, when his own drawing fluttered down. He looked at it, and before he could lose his nerve, put it behind Kurosawa’s to give to him as well. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I must say this: I HATE THE "CATCH A COLD CAUSE WET" TROPE. It hurt my soul writing that part, especially considering that I wrote this chapter on the two year anniversary of me being on Splash Mountain for an hour straight without getting off at midnight. I did not get sick, despite it being January. Because that's not how colds work. But these two think that's how it works, so I had to write it. 
> 
> That cooking scene threw me so many curveballs holy shit. Sorry if I got stuff wrong cause that was rough. 
> 
> The swirl garden is something I drew for a project lmao
> 
> Kurosawa being bad with spice is just good for my soul
> 
> If you guessed what drawing I was sort of referring to...welcome aboard the "I am watching everything with Akaso" train


	5. Why?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The classic "stuck in the elevator" trope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being a little short, whoops.

**1.**

Adachi was  _ not  _ looking forward to Valentine’s Day. He had thought about taking the day off, but had ended up deciding to just deal with it. He knew the deal: Urabe teasing him for not having a girlfriend, Kurosawa getting just too many chocolates, and all the ladies in the office being giggly messes, even though they were _ no longer teenagers _ . Adachi knew he wouldn’t get any chocolates, unless Kurosawa was going to throw him some again, which...might not have been out of the realm of existence, considering all that had happened. But still, the principle of the thing meant Adachi was going to be on edge all day. 

* * *

Kurosawa had seriously debated taking the day off, but he had a meeting he had to go to, which at least was off-site and would take most of the day. That meant he wouldn’t have to deal with his fanclub until later. He knew they would leave the chocolates on his desk, even if he wasn’t there. Frankly, if the other men stole some, he wouldn’t even care. Sweets weren’t really his thing, and even if they were, he always got too many. He usually just gave them to his sister, who always took them with glee (and a few jabs about how popular her baby brother was). 

* * *

“Adachiiiiiiiiiiii, you need a girlfriend,” Urabe drawled as Adachi tried to focus on his work. 

Adachi just nodded, hoping Urabe would leave him alone, but it wasn’t meant to be, considering Urabe took his chair and wheeled it so it was facing Kurosawa’s empty desk. 

“Look at Kurosawa, he’s popular with the ladies! You should try talking to them more, who knows what could happen.” 

“Kurosawa doesn’t have a girlfriend, though,” Adachi muttered, trying to get back to work. 

“He’ll have one soon, then,” Urabe said. 

Adachi tilted his head, but let it go. He seriously doubted Kurosawa would ever have a girlfriend if he supposedly had a crush on  _ him _ . But this wasn’t the place for it, so Adachi just listened to Urabe wax poetic about his wife and how it sucked that he was stuck here on Valentine’s day before Urabe let him get back to work. 

* * *

Kurosawa accepted the free drink from the blushing waitress, much to the amusement of the other members of the meeting, who cheered him on with cat calls. He wished there hadn’t been a lunch as part of this meeting, not on this day, but he took a deep breath and pasted on his best fake smile. 

* * *

“Can I have some chocos?” Adachi heard Rokkaku ask some of the ladies hanging around the water cooler. He wondered how Rokkaku had the confidence to just  _ ask _ , like it was the easiest thing to do. When the ladies just tittered, Rokkaku pouted but went away, presumably to bug other coworkers. Adachi couldn’t help but feel bad for Kurosawa’s kohai, but he didn’t know what to say in the slightest. 

The hours passed, Fujisaki giving all the men in the office a small wrapped chocolate, which Adachi accepted gratefully. Adachi spent most of the day steadfastly ignoring everyone as he worked on his latest project. He had just finished, and was ready to go home, when Urabe stopped in front of him. 

“Adachiiiiiii…” 

Adachi internally groaned. That was the “Urabe was about to dump a bunch of work on him” voice. He turned around, putting his hand out, not wanting to waste time listening to Urabe talk about his wife. He briefly thought about how lucky Urabe was, that he got to go home to someone who loved him, nodding as Urabe thanked him profusely. He looked through the stack of paperwork, finding it was easy but tedious data to input. He sighed, getting ready to stay a few extra hours. 

* * *

Kurosawa came in, glad that most people were in the process of leaving, but still getting bombarded with the few remaining members of the fanclub. He sighed internally, wondering how these women were in their late twenties or early thirties, but accepting their chocolates all the same. He noticed that Adachi was still at his desk, which gave him some hope. Maybe he could talk to him some more. He actually had a bit of work to do, since the meeting had been successful. He managed to get the fanclub to leave him alone, watching as they left, and the office thinned out more and more, until it was just the two of them left. 

* * *

Adachi knew Kurosawa had to be back when he heard the ladies in the office get louder, but they quieted down quickly enough, and Adachi just focused on his work, figuring he would be the last one in the office, so when Kurosawa came over, holding a can of coffee, he was startled. 

“Oh, sorry Adachi!” Kurosawa said, wincing when he saw that he surprised Adachi. 

“It’s okay,” Adachi said, his hand over his heart to try and calm it down. He accepted the coffee gratefully, opening it and taking a sip. 

“What are you working on?” Kurosawa asked, looking at the screen. Nothing there made any sense to him.

“Just the usual,” Adachi shrugged. “I’m pretty much finished. What about you?” 

“I finished a few minutes ago. I’ll wait for you,” Kurosawa said, sending Adachi a blinding smile. Adachi nodded, biting his lip.

* * *

Kurosawa went to his desk and packed up all the chocolates, glad he had been smart enough to throw one of those bags that folded into a small pouch into his leather bag. He heard Adachi type the last few things before closing his laptop, breathing a sigh of relief that Kurosawa could hear all the way from his desk. He smiled to himself, but frowned when he realized that Urabe had probably pushed work on him  _ again.  _

“Kurosawa?” Adachi asked, having clearly gathered all his stuff. With the way he was holding onto his backpack briefcase straps, he looked like a highschooler ready for the first day of school. 

“All ready?” Kurosawa asked. 

Adachi nodded, looking tired despite the coffee. 

The two of them made their way to the elevator, Kurosawa wondering if he could give Adachi any of the chocolates he had without making it seem like it was out of pity. He had managed to do it the year before, but he wasn’t sure he could replicate it again. The elevator came and the two went in, Kurosawa pushing the button for the first floor. The ride went smoothly until they hit the fourth floor, when the power suddenly went out. The two of them were plunged in darkness for a few seconds, then auto generated lights came on, much dimmer than the previous lights. 

Crap. 

* * *

Adachi knew that nothing would probably happen, but he still tried to open the doors, moving away when Kurosawa came to try the “emergency call” button. As he expected, nothing happened. He sighed and sat down, back to the wall, figuring it was just his luck to get trapped in the elevator. Kurosawa sat down next to him, long legs stretched out in front of him. How Kurosawa made something as simple as sitting look elegant, Adachi couldn’t figure out. 

“I think we’re stuck here till morning,” Kurosawa said, sounding apologetic. 

“Probably,” Adachi agreed, wishing he had some food, since he hadn’t eaten since lunch. His stomach growled, embarrassingly loud. Kurosawa looked concerned and started rummaging in the bag he had. 

“Adachi? Do you want some chocos? I know it’s not real food, but it’s what I have…” 

* * *

Kurosawa hoped it was dim enough in the elevator that Adachi couldn’t see his blush. He felt a little bad, giving him the chocos like this, like it was out of pity. 

“Oh, you don’t like sweets, right?” Adachi asked, clearly recalling the conversation they had had the year before. 

“Not especially,” Kurosawa said. “I can’t eat them without remembering that people gave them to me only because of my face.” 

Adachi looked a little shocked at that. “Kurosawa, you’re also good with clients and you do your research, it’s not just your face!” 

Kurosawa couldn’t help the sad smile that he knew had to be on his face. He had a feeling Adachi didn’t remember the night he had said something very similar. 

“Well, do you want some, Adachi?” Kurosawa asked again, keeping his voice light. He could see out of the corner of his eye that Adachi looked a little unsure, so he just handed a random packet to him. 

“Thank you, Kurosawa,” Adachi said, sounding a little unsure, although of what, Kurosawa didn’t know. 

* * *

Adachi opened the pack of chocolate, offering one to Kurosawa out of habit, who smiled but shook his head. 

“Why did you join this company, Kurosawa?” Adachi asked after he popped a chocolate in his mouth, realizing that despite working with Kurosawa for the past seven years, getting closer to eight, he had never really sat down and talked with him. 

“I wanted to get out from my parents’ thumb, mostly. You’ve met my mom, and they didn’t take it well at first, but I was just trying to be my own person, not paraded around for my looks and money,” Kurosawa said after a pause, probably out of surprise. “Why do you ask?” 

“We never really talked, even after all this body switching,” Adachi gestured at nothing. 

Kurosawa looked at him, clearly considering what Adachi had said. 

“What about you, Adachi? Why this company?” 

“I like stationary,” Adachi mumbled, blushing a little. 

“But you work in the numbers department, why not the arty part?” 

Adachi drew his knees in, putting the chocolates aside. “I don’t like deadlines for things I enjoy doing, I guess? If that makes sense.” 

“It makes perfect sense.” 

Adachi rested his chin on his knees, tracing out a pattern on the elevator floor. He wanted to ask Kurosawa more questions, but wasn’t sure if he had the courage. He could feel Kurosawa watching him, not pushing him to talk, just watching. It made him feel better, knowing that at least some people respected that he didn’t want to talk all the time, even if he had initiated the talking. 

“Kurosawa?” 

“Yes?” 

“What are your hobbies? I couldn’t tell from your bedroom.”

* * *

Kurosawa wasn’t sure if they would ever be having this conversation if they hadn’t switched bodies, or if he had just never taken any opportunities to really talk to Adachi. Either way, he was going to take this opportunity.

“Well, I like reading, and Ragna Crimson is one of my favorite mangas-”

“It is?” Adachi sounded surprised and slightly delighted. 

“Yes, I find the adventure part so exciting, what about you?” 

* * *

Adachi couldn’t believe the company favorite shared one of his favorite mangas. Tsuge didn’t really read the action stuff, preferring the love stories or slice of life. He asked Kurosawa if he had liked the newest volume, and the two of them talked about the manga for a while. Adachi felt more comfortable than he had in a long time, and he was glad it was Kurosawa he was stuck with, not somebody else, or just him by himself. 

* * *

Kurosawa was surprised how animated Adachi could be when talking about something he was passionate about, and was a little disappointed with himself that he had never gotten the courage to just talk to Adachi. He couldn’t tell if Adachi liked him like that or not, but he was at least coming out of his shell around him. That was more than anything he had had over the last seven years. Usually, Adachi just stuck to his routine and only talked to Urabe and other superiors he was forced to communicate with. Kurosawa frowned, remembering the reason they were even here in the first place.

“Kurosawa?” 

“Hmm?”

“You’re spacing out, are you tired?” Adachi asked. 

“What? Oh, no, not quite yet. But I have a question.” 

“Yes…?” 

“Why do you always do the things Urabe-san asks you to?” 

* * *

Adachi was a little taken aback by the forcefulness of the question. He didn’t think of Urabe as a particularly bad senpai, but it sounded like Kurosawa did. 

“Well, he has a wife, and everyone around me has more of a life than I do, and it has to get done, so…” Adachi shrugged. He had never particularly minded that it was him that more often than not stuck doing the work. He knew he was perfectly adequate at his job, and since he didn’t really have a dream, doing the work kept him busy. 

“But he doesn’t seem to value you in any shape, way, or form,” Kurosawa said, sounding petulant. 

“Urabe-san just acts like that with everyone,” Adachi said, giving Kurosawa a look. He knew he had been a little scared of Urabe when he had first joined, but Urabe wasn’t that bad. Just a little tactless and loud. 

Kurosawa didn’t look convinced. 

“Kurosawa. He’s not that bad. I promise,” Adachi couldn’t help but be amused at Kurosawa, who seemed to think Urabe was out to get him personally. Adachi had seen him push work on anyone near him if he could get away with it, but he also knew Urabe was very patient at teaching newer hires anything they weren’t sure of. 

“You sure?” 

“Yes, Kurosawa,” Adachi said with a bit of a laugh. 

* * *

Kurosawa wasn’t sure how to feel, but if Adachi was laughing, then Urabe probably  _ wasn’t  _ as bad as Kurosawa thought. Adachi stretched out his legs, mimicking Kurosawa, looking tired. 

“Do you want to sleep, Adachi?” Kurosawa asked. Adachi nodded, looking like the day was catching up to him. 

“Can you play that playlist again, though? The classical one?” Adachi asked. 

Kurosawa didn’t think he was physically able to say no to Adachi, especially when he looked this sleepy. He got out his phone, thankful he had downloaded the playlist. 

“Thank you, Kurosawa,” he mumbled once Mozart started coming out of Kurosawa’s phone’s speakers.

* * *

Adachi knew he was crashing hard, and he was trying to give Kurosawa space, but when he felt Kurosawa gently putting his head on his shoulder, he couldn’t help but think how gentlemanly and perfect Kurosawa was. He fell asleep soon after, Kurosawa warm against him. 

* * *

Kurosawa listened to Adachi’s breathing even out, wondering how he had gotten this lucky. He watched Adachi, an idea popping into his head. As quietly as he could, he took a random pack of chocolate out of the bag he had and put it into Adachi’s backpack. He hoped Adachi wouldn’t take it the wrong way, but the man deserved chocolates. That done, Kurosawa rested his head against Adachi’s, turning off the music and falling asleep himself. 

  
  


Kurosawa had no idea what time it was when the elevator started moving, but it woke him up. He stretched and looked to Adachi, only to find it was himself that he was looking at. 

* * *

Adachi felt himself be shaken awake. 

“Adachi, wake up, we’re going to be out of here soon, but we gotta fix this first.” 

Adachi blearily opened his eyes to himself. He groaned, because what the heck. Again? 

* * *

Kurosawa smiled a bit at the groan, but leaned forward to kiss Adachi on the nose. Thankfully, it restored them to their bodies before the doors opened, the two of them scrambling to get up. 

“Kurosawa-san? Adachi-san? Were you guys stuck here all night?” Rokkaku’s shocked voice rang through the elevator hall. 

“Yes, the power went out. Can you tell the Chief that, please? We need to at least freshen up before we come back,” Kurosawa told him, watching as Adachi high-tailed it to the bathroom. 

“Will do, Kurosawa-san!” Rokkaku cheerfully said, before considering the elevator before him. Kurosawa left him to decide if he was going to chance the elevator or take ten flights of stairs, wanting to talk to Adachi before the two of them separated again. 

* * *

Adachi splashed water on himself, trying to wake himself up. He wasn’t sure if he was up to a day of work after being stuck in the elevator, and he definitely wanted to go home to shower if he was going to try. 

“Adachi? Are you okay?” Kurosawa’s concerned voice came from behind Adachi, startling him. He turned off the water and turned around. 

“I’m fine, just a bit stiff,” he answered honestly. “And I want a shower.” 

Kurosawa smiled at that, making Adachi smile a bit back. He knew he needed to figure out his feelings towards his coworker soon, before the magic got out of hand. But seeing Kurosawa concerned towards him made him feel...nice. Which Adachi felt like wasn’t quite an adequate word for Kurosawa, but it was the word that came to mind, at least for now. The two of them walked out, Kurosawa hailing a taxi while Adachi walked to the train station. He got on the train, wondering why something about his backpack felt odd. He managed to get a seat, taking off his backpack and quietly unzipping it. 

A pack of chocolates stared back at him, and Adachi zipped it back up, wondering what it all meant. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we've reached the end of the 5 part *dun dun duh*
> 
> Also, possibly unpopular opinion: URABE AIN'T THAT BAD. He's tactless, yes, but he does canonly look out for Adachi and seeing him turned into a bully turns me into :sadkuro:.


	6. When?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adachi figures out what activates the magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the story draws to a close, as all stories must.

**One.**

Kurosawa woke up on his 31st birthday, knowing immediately by the brightness of the room that he was back in Adachi’s body. He didn’t know what to feel, considering this was now the sixth time it had happened and it was now  _ his  _ birthday. But he knew he didn’t feel like sitting around for Adachi to come over to fix it this time, he wanted to be a little bit selfish. It was his birthday, after all. 

* * *

Adachi sat on the edge of Kurosawa’s bed, trying to figure out what could have possibly prompted this. He knew it was Kurosawa’s birthday, which could have been a possibility if it was only the second time it happened, but this was the sixth time. He put his face in his hands, dimly registering how much bigger Kurosawa’s hands were than his own. He sighed and grabbed Kurosawa’s phone, knowing that he had to call to say he would be out of work. He knew Kurosawa had taken the day off, but he hadn’t. He called Urabe’s extension, claiming a cold to explain the voice difference, flopping backwards on the bed when he was done. He texted Kurosawa so that he wouldn’t call the office twice, finding out that Kurosawa was coming over. He groaned and got out of the bed, heading to the bathroom. 

* * *

Kurosawa hadn’t realized how different it was to navigate the world as Adachi, since the first time he had only gone to the convenience store and back and usually Adachi came to him. But while people didn’t stare at him like they did when he was Kurosawa, he was shoved around a lot more, the crowded train not giving him space like he was used to. He was grateful for Adachi’s small feet, since he was sure that people would have been stepping on them like crazy if they were any bigger. Kurosawa realized this was probably part of why Adachi was so quiet, since people didn’t give him preferential treatment. His heart broke for him, wondering why people couldn’t see Adachi like how he saw him. 

* * *

Adachi looked at Kurosawa’s face in the mirror, thinking how Kurosawa looked a little better with his hair messed up, with glasses on, when he wasn’t perfect. 

Wait. Perfect. 

Adachi frowned, suddenly remembering what he had thought in the elevator when he had been moved to Kurosawa’s shoulder. He had been thinking about how perfect Kurosawa could be. He thought back. The same had happened when he had shared the bed with him on the onsen trip. He bit his lip, thinking about all the nights before the switches. Definitely before his birthday he had been thinking about how much better Kurosawa was and how he’d like to be more like that. When he had been at his mom’s...Adachi vaguely remembered thinking how Kurosawa was probably having a better time with his family, since he was such a good worker and not just a behind-the-scenes salaryman. And before the lightning storm, he had been thinking over what Kurosawa’s sister had said and how someone as good as Kurosawa could have a crush on  _ him _ . Adachi gasped. That had to be the trigger! Considering that last night he had been agonizing over what to do with Kurosawa’s birthday, if the present he had gotten was good enough for someone as perfect as Kurosawa, it made sense. He worried his lip, thinking about how he perceived Kurosawa. 

* * *

Kurosawa stepped off the subway, wondering what to do to fix the problem this time. He didn’t want to do anything that would make Adachi uncomfortable, but this was starting to get out of hand. He thought about Adachi and how he was getting more comfortable with physical touch, at least from him. Adachi had let him watch the lightning storm with him, and hadn’t moved away in the elevator at all. He had even given Kurosawa a gift, one that he treasured. Still, Kurosawa didn’t want to go at anything but Adachi’s pace, considering how shy he could be. 

* * *

Adachi left the bathroom, still wearing Kurosawa’s pajamas, thinking too hard to have noticed that he hadn’t changed like he meant to. He went into the living room, stopping in his tracks when he saw what Kurosawa had put on the fridge. He had hung Adachi’s abstract art up, a magnet in each corner, while his little swirl garden was just hung up with one. Adachi made his way to the couch, sitting down and drawing his knees to himself,, knowing he needed to figure out his feelings before Kurosawa came. He thought about how Kurosawa had always made sure Adachi ate, how he had given Adachi his clothes back immediately, how he always made sure to give Adachi his space. He thought about how he had been glad to share the room on the business trip with Kurosawa, had been willing to share the lightning storm with him, how he was grateful it was Kurosawa with him in the elevator just a week ago. He looked up from where he had placed his forehead on his knees. Fairy-tales, right? Everyone knew how fairy-tale spells were broken. 

* * *

Kurosawa walked up the steps of his apartment building, feeling oddly apprehensive. He didn’t know how to fix the problem this time without making Adachi uncomfortable, and he was getting much too close to chicken out now. 

* * *

Adachi heard the doorbell ring, and stood up. He knew what he had to. He got up and walked to the door, blood pounding in his ears, but ready to go through it. 

* * *

Kurosawa heard Adachi moving in his apartment, and took a deep breath. When the door opened, he tried to look up, only to feel his wrist be grabbed and he stumbled into the apartment when Adachi pulled him in. 

* * *

Adachi wasn’t sure exactly what he was doing, but he was going to try. Kurosawa had always been looking out for him, it was time for him to return the favor. 

* * *

Kurosawa felt his chin be raised and tried to talk before Adachi put his lips on his. 

* * *

Adachi had never expected his first kiss to be at 30, and he definitely didn’t expect it to be in the wrong body, but when Kurosawa tried to pull away when they had switched bodies, he whined and grabbed Kurosawa’s pajama top, chasing Kurosawa’s lips. 

* * *

Kurosawa thought he had died and gone to heaven. Adachi wanted to keep kissing. He walked Adachi to the wall, still kissing him, pinning him to the wall with his body and threading one of his hands through Adachi’s hair, the other cupping Adachi’s cheek. 

* * *

Even though Adachi was against the wall, he felt safe, Kurosawa feeling warm against Adachi’s now slightly cold body. He sighed happily, and he could feel Kurosawa smile against his lips.

* * *

Kurosawa knew that Adachi had to be a bit cold from the walk, so he reluctantly let him go, resting his forehead against Adachi’s before stepping away, allowing Adachi to take off his shoes. He was still in disbelief, touching his lips to check that it had actually happened. He watched Adachi, who was starting to look flustered now that they weren’t kissing any more. He smiled fondly, stepping back to give Adachi some space. He realized he felt more grounded than he had for the last four months or so, and hoped Adachi felt the same. 

* * *

Adachi also felt like the magic or whatever it was wouldn’t be switching them anymore, feeling how correct it felt to be in his body once again. He knew that he had to talk to Kurosawa, though, and explain his theory. He wasn’t sure exactly what to do, especially when all he wanted to do was kiss Kurosawa more. He stood there, shoes off, fiddling with his hoodie sleeve, not realizing he was staring at Kurosawa. 

* * *

Kurosawa was going to lose his mind if Adachi kept looking at him like that, all eyes and slightly swollen lips, so he reached his hand out and gently took Adachi’s hand, pulling him close, drawing him into a hug. 

“Thank you, Adachi,” he whispered. 

“For?” Adachi asked, sounding confused.

“Being you.” 

Adachi made a sputtering noise but melted into the hug, putting his hands around Kurosawa’s back and holding tight. 

* * *

Adachi couldn’t believe he hadn’t realized his feelings earlier, but being in Kurosawa’s embrace felt like coming home and he was glad to be there, Kurosawa holding him like he was the most important thing in the world. He pulled away a little, so he could look at Kurosawa properly. The look in his eyes was so fond, Adachi nearly felt like crying. He took a deep breath, and stepped away, gesturing to the couch, unable to speak at the moment for fear he would cry or kiss Kurosawa or both. 

* * *

Kurosawa wasn’t sure exactly what Adachi wanted, but he was gesturing to the couch, and Kurosawa figured it had to be important. He walked to the couch, Adachi following him and tugging at the hoodie strings around his neck. The two of them sat down, Kurosawa patiently waiting for Adachi to talk, knowing it might take him a while to collect his thoughts. He took one of Adachi’s hands, running his thumb over it to calm him down, marveling at the fact that he could do that. 

* * *

Adachi didn’t know that something as simple as a thumb over his hand could make him feel so many things, but he was grateful for Kurosawa allowing him to collect his thoughts. He took a deep breath and faced Kurosawa. 

“Kurosawa...I’m sorry.” 

“For what, Adachi?” Kurosawa looked puzzled. 

“For activating the magic,” Adachi admitted.

“Adachi, you don’t know that it-”

“No, it was me, Kurosawa! I’m sure of it!”

* * *

Kurosawa didn’t know why Adachi was being so insistent, but he squeezed Adachi’s hand to let him know he was there for him. 

“Kurosawa...you know I’m not popular, right? I’ve never dated or anything before, not even kissed…” 

Kurosawa touched his lips in shock. He had taken Adachi’s first kiss, or maybe not...Adachi’s first kiss had been with him, no matter what the exact logistics were for this body switching nonsense. 

“So I think part of that has to do with that, since there’s that urban legend…”

“Which urban legend?” 

Adachi whined, clearly embarrassed. He covered his face with his free hand, which made his next words muffled. 

“What?” 

“If you’re a virgin at 30 you become a magic user!” Adachi said slightly louder, looking embarrassed. 

Kurosawa couldn’t help but blink at that. How no one wanted to date Adachi, he had no clue. Adachi was so sweet and looked out for people, noticing things that others didn’t. 

“And I think we kept switching because I kept thinking about you and…” Kurosawa couldn’t catch the rest of what Adachi said because he said it so quietly. 

“And what?” Kurosawa asked, although internally he was reeling at the thought of Adachi thinking about him. 

“Andhowperfectyoucanbe,” Adachi said in a rush. 

It took Kurosawa a second to figure out what Adachi meant, but when he figured it out, he frowned. 

“I’m not perfect, Adachi.” 

* * *

Adachi grabbed his hair, frustrated at himself. He  _ knew  _ Kurosawa wasn’t perfect, he just didn’t know how to say it correctly. He blew up at his bangs, trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

“The magic...it seemed to activate when I fell asleep thinking about how perfect you can be. And I know you aren’t! I saw your bedroom, I know a lot of it is you actively trying to be...not perfect...put together maybe? But actually, I like you more when you aren’t perfect, it’s just that you always have that facade, I guess? So I do tend to think of you as perfect, because that’s what you show, but I don’t want you to always be perfect. You’re good enough just as you are, Kurosawa.” Adachi said, slightly tripping over his words in his haste to reassure Kurosawa. He wanted Kurosawa to feel as comfortable with him as he made Adachi feel.

* * *

Kurosawa sat back, reeling at the implications of what Adachi had said. He wasn’t used to people saying he was good enough, not with a vague threat of “you’re good at what you do and you need to stay good at what you do.” He could feel tears starting to prickle his eyes, similar to how they had over seven years ago. He felt Adachi turn to him, his small hand hesitantly coming to wipe away the tears that were starting to fall. Kurosawa couldn’t help but smile at that, leaning into Adachi’s touch. He closed his eyes and sighed, wondering how he had gotten this lucky. 

“Kurosawa?” Adachi sounded hesitant. He opened his eyes, Adachi’s eyes flicking up from his lips. 

“Yes, Adachi?” Kurosawa asked.

“Can I kiss you again?” 

Kurosawa swept Adachi up, making him squeak, settling Adachi on top of him as he laid across the couch. 

“Of course.” He brought his hand around Adachi’s head and brought him to his lips.

* * *

Adachi now understood why there were poems, novels, movies on kissing. He cupped his hands around Kurosawa’s face, feeling Kurosawa smile and dazedly thinking how he was making Kurosawa smile, he was making Kurosawa happy. He felt some tears slide down his own cheeks, a little overwhelmed, then felt Kurosawa move as he started to kiss away the tears. He whined, breaking away and burrowing his face into Kurosawa’s chest, hands holding onto Kurosawa’s shirt. He heard Kurosawa chuckle fondly, and felt Kurosawa’s large hand stroke his hair. 

“Are you tired, Adachi?” Kurosawa asked. 

Now that Kurosawa had said it, Adachi felt the emotional exhaustion of revealing his feelings catching up to him. He nodded, his hands relaxing a little. 

“Do you want to sleep? We can move-” Kurosawa stopped when he saw Adachi shake his head. 

* * *

Kurosawa couldn’t believe his ears when Adachi mumbled out “wanna stay here” and put his arms around Kurosawa like he was a teddy bear. He moved so he could drop a kiss on Adachi’s head, smiling when Adachi made miffed noises. 

“We’ll stay here then,” Kurosawa whispered, wrapping his arms around Adachi’s waist. Adachi made noises of agreement, falling asleep quickly, leaving Kurosawa to wonder how he had gotten this lucky. With everything that had happened, Kurosawa also started feeling sleepy, Adachi’s murmurs in his sleep music to his ears.

* * *

Adachi woke up, a little disoriented. He wasn’t used to waking up on couches, let alone couches with other people. He stretched a little, then propped himself up to look at Kurosawa. When Kurosawa was asleep, he looked much more relaxed than at work, where he was putting up a front. His hair had fallen back, exposing his forehead. He twitched, blearily opening his eyes, eyes crinkling into a smile when he realized that Adachi was on top of him. He moved so that his forehead touched Adachi’s. 

“Hello, Adachi,” he whispered, his voice rough with sleep. 

“Hi,” Adachi said, feeling shy all of a sudden. 

“It wasn’t a dream, then?” Kurosawa asked. 

Adachi shook his head, smiling a little. Kurosawa’s smile widened, showing even more crinkles. Adachi wanted to touch them, before remembering he  _ could.  _ He brought his hand up, tracing the crinkles, slowly, wanting to memorize Kurosawa’s happiest face. 

“I like it when you smile your real smile,” Adachi murmured. “You have such charming crinkles, it’s unfair.” 

* * *

Kurosawa couldn’t help but chuckle at that. “Adachi, you have them too, when you really smile.” 

Adachi, still on top of him, froze. “I do?” 

Kurosawa nodded. He had noticed several years ago and it had never left his mind. “I’ll take a picture someday and show you.”

Adachi made a face at that, but Kurosawa could tell it wouldn’t really bother him. Kurosawa knew his photo album was very quickly going to be full of Adachi pictures, which was fine with Kurosawa. 

“Come on, we need breakfast, do you want anything?” 

Adachi huffed at him. “Kurosawa, it’s your birthday. And I have a gift for you. Let’s just go to a cafe.”

* * *

Kurosawa froze, making Adachi look at him. 

“You got a gift...for me?” 

Adachi looked at the ground, embarrassed. “Well, I don’t know if you’re even going to need it much anymore, but...yeah.” 

Kurosawa looked at Adachi like he had hung the stars, making him squirm a little.

“Please, Kurosawa, go get dressed, it’s in my apartment, and I won’t let you cook for me on your birthday,” he begged, needing the attention off of himself. 

* * *

Kurosawa looked down at his pajamas, forgetting that he hadn’t gotten dressed yet with all that had happened. 

“Well, you’ll have to get off of me for me to do that,” he gently teased. Adachi stuck out his tongue and got off, making Kurosawa’s brain do a reset. He knew he wanted to get a picture of that. 

He went off to the bedroom and got dressed, finding the clothes Adachi had clearly forgotten when he went to the restroom. He tossed those clothes on the bed, wanting to get out of the apartment as quickly as possible. He had put his contacts in, but left his hair down. 

“Okay, Adachi, I’m ready to go.” 

* * *

Adachi brought him to one of his favorite cafes, one he often went to with Tsuge, and the two of them fell into easy conversation, talking about nothing in particular over their croissants and coffee. He could tell Kurosawa was curious about the gift, but Adachi wouldn’t tell him anything. When they were finished, they headed to Adachi’s apartment, Kurosawa slipping his hand into Adachi’s when he saw the streets were empty. Adachi squeezed back, enjoying Kurosawa’s warmth in the February chill. 

When they got to the apartment, Adachi opened the door, letting Kurosawa in, before slipping his shoes off and going to the desk drawers. He knew Kurosawa probably wouldn’t have gone through his stuff, but still, just in case. He got it out, taking a deep breath before curling his hand over it. 

“Close your eyes.” 

Kurosawa obliged, smiling slightly. Adachi walked over and took Kurosawa’s hand, placing it in Kurosawa’s hand, marveling at how small the gift looked in Kurosawa’s hand compared to his.

“You can open your eyes now.” 

Kurosawa opened them, checking his hand and looking at Adachi in shock. 

“A-Adachi?” 

Adachi looked around, embarrassed. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to keep happening, the swapping, and I figured it couldn’t hurt, and obviously we don’t  _ need  _ it anymore, but still, I wanted to give it to you-” 

Adachi’s ramblings were cut short when Kurosawa came over and hugged him, holding him tight and slightly rocking him, his face buried in Adachi’s shoulder despite the height difference. 

“I love it, Adachi, I really do.” Kurosawa said. 

“Oh,” was all Adachi could think to say. 

“‘Oh?’” Kurosawa teased, pulling back a little before pulling Adachi into a kiss. 

* * *

Kurosawa could  _ definitely  _ get used to this, he thought as he kissed Adachi deeper, one hand in Adachi’s hair, the other around Adachi’s waist, curled over the key Adachi gave him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay real quick: the key was so that it would be easier for them if they kept switching. However, now it just means Kurosawa is always welcome. 
> 
> Also I am aware of the Chapter 61 of Carry On vibes. 
> 
> Also also: the titles were based of the Spy Kids 2 song, but like the messed version I remembered, not the actual version, which is why they're out of order (did I have to ask my sister what the heck I was singing? maybe...)
> 
> I hope y'all enjoyed the story, it was fun to write! (tell me if you guessed what activated the magic!)


End file.
